Case Studies
Introduction
AASHE’s case study library contains hundreds of detailed case studies on a wide variety of higher education sustainability initiatives from faculty development programs to whole campus energy retrofits to community partnerships. All case studies are entered in the annual AASHE Awards Program.
At a Glance
Total Resources
Organizations
Countries
U.S. States & Territories
Canadian Provinces
Bars in graphs can be clicked to view resources that align with a particular category. Because a resource may be listed under multiple topics and disciplines, graph data may include higher total counts than what is indicated in total resources above.
New Resources
The Good Store
- University of Northern British Columbia (BC)
- Prince George Public Interest Research Group (BC)
The Good Store is a low waste shop established on the UNBC campus to provide all members of the community with access to affordable, healthy and sustainable food options. The ...
- Posted May 17, 2019
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Fostering a Straw-Conscious University
- Boston University (MA)
Our initiative worked to make Boston University a straw-conscious environment.
Since most recycling facilities are not equipped with the proper machinery to recycle plastic straws, we focused our campaign on ...
- Posted May 17, 2019
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Dollar Coffee Club
- University of Montana- Missoula (MT)
The intent of the Dollar Coffee Club (DCC) is to leverage the powerful appeal of one dollar coffee to incentivize customers to participate in sustainability efforts through a quid pro ...
- Posted May 17, 2019
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#LoveAMug: Reinvigorating a Reusable Mug Program
- Princeton University (NJ)
In 2003, Princeton University Campus Dining (CD) introduced a 25 cent reusable mug discount in retail operations. Over the years, the program became stagnant and was applied to an average ...
- Posted May 17, 2019
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Chandler-Gilbert Community College Food Waste Recycling Project
- Chandler-Gilbert Community College (AZ)
- Maricopa County Community College District Office (AZ)
The CGCC Food Waste Recycling Project is a grant-funded campus-wide ongoing collaborative project that offers deep, cross-disciplinary, experiential student learning via an innovative solution for CGCC’s food and green ...
- Posted May 17, 2019
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Fill Plates, Not Landfills: Implementing the Bobcat Eats Food Waste Awareness and Prevention Program
- University of California, Merced (CA)
The Bobcat Eats Food Waste Awareness and Prevention Program is a collaboration between the University of California, Merced (UC Merced) and the Merced County Food Bank to reduce food waste ...
- Posted May 17, 2019
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Eating Green
- Harvard University (MA)
I created a guide to plant-based eating for students on Harvard's campus. Unfolding over the course of several months, this pamphlet translated into 2,000 hard copies and a ...
- Posted May 17, 2019
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STARS Report as a Framework for Campus Sustainability.
- The University of Texas at Dallas (TX)
The Eco Rep program at the University of Texas at Dallas expanded campus sustainability efforts by using AASHE STARS reporting as a framework for new student run initiatives and projects ...
- Posted May 17, 2019
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The WinterGreen Project
- University of Manitoba (MB)
Wintergreen Project aims to develop technology needed to address the Northern Food Crisis by using hydroponic technologies to grow food in a shipping container
- Posted May 13, 2019
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Healthy Beverage Initiative: UBC Drinks Tap Water
- University of British Columbia (BC)
- University of British Columbia Okanagan (BC)
Bottled beverages are packaged in single-use plastic & often loaded with sugar. They're harmful to both our environment and our health.
UBC launched a Healthy Beverage Initiative (HBI) to ...
- Posted May 13, 2019
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Making the Most of Meals
- Harvard University (MA)
Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) established a food donation program in 2014, which includes bulk donation of nutritious foods from residential dining buffets (approximately 27,000 pounds in 2017), as ...
- Posted May 7, 2019
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How Can Wolves & Ag Co-Exist? (Earth Day Event)
- Feather River College (CA)
Feather River College's Sustainability Action Team hosts a Spring Sustainability Series. This year it culminated with an event called "How Can Wolves and Ag Co-Exist" in partnership with the ...
- Posted April 29, 2019
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Tarrant County College Southeast Campus Aquaponics Cultivation Center and Wildlife Development
- Tarrant County College Southeast (TX)
This is a massive, on-going project that we have been developing as a committee over the past 2 years. Right now, I am in the process of developing 2 miles ...
- Posted April 29, 2019
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UW-Madison Reusable To Go Containers- Ticket to Take Out!
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
Beginning in Fall 2018, all University Housing Dining Markets moved exclusively to a reusable to-go container program for all carry-out food. The goal of this program, named Ticket to Take ...
- Posted April 29, 2019
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Food Recovery At UIC
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
At the University of Illinois at Chicago's (UIC) dining facilities, there is much food that is prepared but not eaten. It goes to the landfill, but it could be ...
- Posted Aug. 10, 2018
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The Catastrophic Meal--Exploring the Food Systems and Cultures of the Future
- Vestjyllands Højskole
Vestjyllands Højskole hosted The Catastrophic Meal to demonstrate both a utopian and dystopian view of future food culture. As part of the EU's Aarhus City of Culture celebrations, the ...
- Posted May 21, 2018
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Francis Feast and Learn: Sustainability Teach-In and Local Foods Dinner
- Loyola University Maryland (MD)
The Francis Feast and Learn is a sustainability teach-in and locally sourced meal, inspired by the life’s work of St. Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si ...
- Posted May 21, 2018
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Ditch the Disposables
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA)
Ditch the Disposables is a WPI student-run campaign that was started in 2016 to reduce single-use plastic items at WPI. The project began with a reusable container program in the ...
- Posted May 21, 2018
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Departmental Sustainability Mission & Vision Statement -University of Washington Housing & Food Services
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
In the academic year 2017-18, Housing & Food Services unveiled its Sustainability Mission & Vision statement. This articulation of the department’s greater commitment to sustainability was the culmination of ...
- Posted May 21, 2018
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University of Michigan Campus Farm and MDining Lead Sustainable Food Movement
- University of Michigan (MI)
With the first delivery of Campus Farm fresh produce to Mosher Jordan dining hall in the summer of 2017, the University of Michigan’s MDining’s sustainability goal of using ...
- Posted May 21, 2018
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Clean Plates at State: Michigan State University
- Michigan State University (MI)
Michigan State University is continually striving to build a sustainable culture on campus and in the Spartan community. Clean Plates at State helps students and members of our community understand ...
- Posted May 18, 2018
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Mississippi State Community Garden
- Mississippi State University (MS)
In the spring of 2017, the Student Association at Mississippi State University secured funding to further sustainability on campus. This funding was used in part to hold a proposal competition ...
- Posted May 18, 2018
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Southern Oregon University Dish Loan Program
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
Southern Oregon University's Ecology and Sustainability Resource Center launched a Dish Loan Program in fall 2017. The Dish Loan Program is a free alternative for campus clubs, organizations, and ...
- Posted May 18, 2018
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Food Lab Compost Project
- West Chester University of Pennsylvania (PA)
This project aims to reduce food waste produced by the West Chester University Food Lab. First, food scraps from the the Food Lab are collected in a sealed bin. Then ...
- Posted May 18, 2018
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The ripple effect: Hydo-Aeorponics growing on campus
- Missouri Southern State University (MO)
- Chartwells Higher Education (NY)
In August of 2016 Missouri State University brought 2 zip grow towers( a Hydo-Aeorponics vertical grow tower system) to campus in partnership to display a hyper-local growing option for produce ...
- Posted May 11, 2018
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The Razorback Food Recovery
- University of Arkansas (AR)
Food recovery – the practice of preventing surplus foodstuffs from being dumped in the trash – takes numerous forms and provides a variety of social, economic, and environmental benefits. According to the ...
- Posted May 11, 2018
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Composting for a Greener Campus: the Texas State University Bobcat Blend program
- Texas State University, San Marcos (TX)
Bobcat Blend is a faculty managed, student-run and grant-supported research and teaching-oriented waste management campus composting program at Texas State University. The goals of the organization are to teach students ...
- Posted May 2, 2018
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Permaculture and Community at WCSU
- Western Connecticut State University (CT)
The Jane Goodall Center for Excellence in Environmental Studies is a unique partnership between Western Connecticut State University and The Jane Goodall Institute, a private non-profit organization dedicated to wildlife ...
- Posted May 2, 2018
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University of Vermont Eco-Reps Composting Campaign
- University of Vermont (VT)
At the University of Vermont (UVM), the Recycling and Waste Management program and the UVM Eco-Reps have identified a lack of understanding of composting within on-campus residential halls. Although composting ...
- Posted March 5, 2018
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University of Vermont Eco-Reps "EcoWare, Everywhere!" Campaign
- University of Vermont (VT)
The University of Vermont (UVM) implemented reusable EcoWare to-go containers in retail locations 2011. Data collected from the past 4 years has shown that EcoWare uses became concentrated in residential ...
- Posted March 5, 2018
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Point Loma Nazarene University's Food Recovery Network
- Point Loma Nazarene University (CA)
Point Loma Nazarene University’s Food Recovery Network was started by a student as a means of reducing food waste on campus as well as supporting the local community. With ...
- Posted Feb. 28, 2018
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Creating a Healthy, Environmentally Responsible and Socially Just Campus Food System
- California State University, Northridge (CA)
Description In 2016, a year-long study release by the California State University (CSU) found that 24 percent of our system's 460,000 students were food insecure. To address this ...
- Posted Feb. 28, 2018
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In-Vessel Composting Trials – Ingeo Compostable Products
- Arizona State University (AZ)
Arizona State University's University Sustainability Practices office partnered with a variety of ASU departments, NatureWorks, LLC, the City of Tempe, and DTEnvironmental to test the compostability of compostable serviceware ...
- Posted Feb. 15, 2018
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University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point Designated as the 40th Fair Trade University in the U.S.
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (WI)
The University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, part of a national initiative by Fair Trade Campaigns to engage college/university students in issues of global poverty, officially received designation as ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
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McGill University’s Fairtrade Campus Commitment: Roddick Roast Coffee
- McGill University (QC)
- Fairtrade Canada (ON)
- The Canadian Fair Trade Network (BC)
In June 2013, McGill University was given the designation of Fair Trade Campus by the Canadian Fair Trade Network (CFTN). This means that 100% of coffee sold on campus is ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
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Black Hills Food Hub: rural food hubs serving a wider demographic
- Black Hills State University (SD)
Black Hills State University (BHSU) and Spearfish community partners are seeking to create a culture that supports and values local food in order to expand the reach and depth of ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
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Making Local, Healthy, Sustainable Delicious: The How-To Guide for Foodservice Operators
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
The How-To Guide for Foodservice Operators is a manual for restoring real food and regional food systems to the right place in our society. The guide documents UMass Dining’s ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
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Revisiting Service Learning Through Food Equity, One Outcome from the Chemeketa - Marion Polk Food Share Youth Partnership
- Chemeketa Community College (OR)
Chemeketa Student Retention and College Life (SRCL) periodically offers free leadership courses to students. Chemeketa’s dreams of a student farm for the Agricultural Sciences program are still a few ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
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Transforming Campus Food Service with Anytime Dining
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
The Department of Dining Services at University of Maryland (UMD) set a goal to change the student culture and experience on campus through the Anytime Dining residential dining program. The ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
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Zero Waste Guide and the Good Food Festival Case Study
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
Throughout the semester, Joe Iosbaker, UIC's Recycling Coordinator and Office of Sustainability (OS) staff member, and Ula Renetskis, Office of Sustainability Intern and author, have been working with Bright ...
- Posted May 15, 2017
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Oregon State U Fully Transitions to Reusable Food To Go Containers
- Oregon State University (OR)
The "Eco2Go" food container program at Oregon State University (OSU) Housing & Dining Services (UHDS) has eliminated all but a few specialized uses of disposable take-out containers within dining services ...
- Posted May 15, 2017
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Temple Tiny House
- Temple University (PA)
The Temple University Tiny House project is a student designed and student constructed sustainable building located at Temple Community Garden on main campus. Completed in spring 2017, the 175 square ...
- Posted May 11, 2017
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Case Study: Oregon State University Becomes the First University to Accept Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) at University Run Grocery Store
- Oregon State University (OR)
In January 2016, OSU began accepting SNAP at a campus grocery store, allowing individuals with SNAP to access these funds while on campus. OSU is the first to have a ...
- Posted May 9, 2017
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UT Farm Stand
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
UT Farm Stand is a student-led project that provides local and organic fresh foods to the University of Texas at Austin students, faculty, and staff. Our mission is focused on ...
- Posted June 16, 2016
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Rescued Food Feast
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Aramark (PA)
The Rescued Food Feast was an event held at Arizona State University and was a collaboration between the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, Aramark Higher Education, Sprouts Farmers ...
- Posted June 11, 2016
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UCLA is the Largest Public University in the U.S. to achieve Fair Trade Status
- University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
- Fair Trade Colleges & Universities
University of California, Los Angeles, part of a national initiative by Fair Trade Campaigns to engage college/university students in issues of global poverty, officially received designation as a Fair ...
- Posted June 11, 2016
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RIT FoodShare
- Rochester Institute of Technology (NY)
RIT FoodShare is an initiative on the RIT campus that has been established to address food insecurity and food waste. It is both a campus food pantry and a facebook ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
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Integrated educational food garden and composting
- California State University, Northridge (CA)
Striving towards zero waste and with a close-the-loop philosophy, CSUN students are diverting over 35,000 pounds of pre-consumer waste/year and turning it back into food via an on ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
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Plant-Powered Dining @ Cornell University
- Cornell University (NY)
Student Sustainability coordinators sought to do something in line with these initiatives at Cornell. Many universities have adopted versions of a “Meatless Monday” program, or have an all-vegetarian dining hall ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
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Composting for a Greener Campus: the Texas State University Bobcat Blend program
- Texas State University, San Marcos (TX)
Bobcat Blend is a faculty managed, student-run and grant-supported research and teaching-oriented waste management campus composting program at Texas State University. The goals of the organization are to teach students ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
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