Today, 60% of the University’s lawns are maintained organically, and Horticulture & Grounds is steadily progressing toward its ambitious goal: to convert 100% of campus lawns to organic or natural care by 2027.

Goals and impacts

The shift to organic care allows the development of healthy soil from natural products rather than synthetic and manufactured chemicals. “My initiative over the next couple of years is going to be soil testing, true lawn care. What can we actually do? What does it look like to go organic?” says John McIntyre, the manager of Horticulture & Grounds, whose team is leading this transition. The department oversees all outdoor spaces on University property, including the Medical Center, River Campus, and offsite properties like the Memorial Art Gallery and the Eastman School of Music.

As emphasized by McIntyre, soil testing forms the foundation of this effort. By understanding nutrient levels, soil structure, and biological activity, the department can develop management strategies that promote healthier grass without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. The result is a more resilient landscape that needs fewer inputs and supports better long-term ecological health.

In addition to changing from synthetic to organic lawn care, the team is implementing simple but highly effective practices that naturally strengthen the campus lawns:

• Higher mowing heights: Increasing the mowing height helps retain moisture and shade out weeds, reducing the need for chemical control. This is especially evident on Eastman Quad, where stronger grass can better withstand heavy foot traffic.
• Soil maintenance: Regular aeration and overseeding performed twice a year encourages deeper root systems, improves soil health, and boosts turf density.

One goal of the overall initiative is to improve student life. McIntyre remarks that it makes him proud when Eastman Quad is so “full of people” using hammocks, playing frisbee, or picnicking. “We want students to be able to enjoy these areas, and we want to know that they’re enjoying them in a very [environmentally healthy] way.”

Other sustainability efforts around the University’s landscape

Transitioning to natural lawn care is just one more item on Horticulture & Grounds’ growing list of sustainability commitments.

The transition away from gas-powered equipment is well underway, with 65% of power tools now electric, including line trimmers, shears, and chainsaws. This reduces emissions, as well as local air and noise pollution. The department has also been trialing electric robotic lawn mowers this past fall to further reduce emissions.

Furthermore, Horticulture & Grounds practices comprehensive material stewardship.

“All leaves and vegetative material are composted, and all hardwood is repurposed locally into mulch,” says McIntyre. This prevents a large portion of the University’s organic yard waste from going to landfills.

In the past few years, the department has also supported biodiversity in the University’s outdoor spaces. They have planted three pollinator gardens, two rain gardens, and changed 17 acres of lawn that was mowed weekly to a once-a-year cycle.

The University arboretum

The Ģ����ý is a nationally recognized arboretum, featuring over 7,800 trees identified and mapped through an . This system tracks the diameter and height of most trees, accounting for 212 different species across campus. Some of the most recognizable trees include:

• 12 northern red oaks (Quercus rubra) found lining Eastman Quad.
• The Goldenrain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) located in the center of Wilson Quad.

Across the University’s campuses, care for the grounds has become care for the community itself. As students relax under the large oak trees of Eastman Quad, they’re part of a campus-wide effort to nurture both the landscape and the shared goal of a healthier, more sustainable community.

Written by Kylin Roberts, ‘26

The post Natural lawn care: A growing commitment appeared first on Sustainability.

When the topic of climate action is mentioned, many acknowledge the effectiveness of legislation changes or climate data. However, climate action happens in a myriad of ways, including often overlooked methods such as art and expression. For Ģ����ý faculty members and , art is a key way they contribute to climate action and education. Through their Climate Interventions class, the artist collective, and the , their work not only allows others to share and listen to stories related to climate change, but also highlights opportunities students can take to become involved in interdisciplinary projects.

Climate in the classroom

The Climate Interventions class offered at Ģ����ý is taught by both Stephanie Ashenfelder, the director of the Digital Media Studies program, and Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp, a professor of dance in the Dance and Movement program. This class combines the visual arts with performance and is centered around climate change storytelling. There is also significant emphasis on eco-somatics, or the “idea of centering the body in our relationships and conversations around the environment,” according to Pasquarello Beauchamp. Students also have the opportunity to travel to the Adirondacks to experience the park firsthand, collect climate-related stories from the community, and make art based off of those stories and what they have learned from the course.

“Through the class, we really center the human experience, storytelling and human-to-human connection, and how that can make a really big impact on how people talk and feel about the environment,” says Ashenfelder. “[This also] makes them to want to act.”

Engaging the community

EchoLab is an artist collective started by Pasquarello Beauchamp, Ashenfelder, and , a Rochester-based photographer. According to Ashenfelder, its three main focuses are art, ecology, and community building.

One of EchoLab’s recent projects includes , a pilot project that entailed a year of research to determine if storytelling and movement could influence members of both rural and urban communities to feel a deeper connection to their local watershed.

EchoLab found that those nearest to the Genesee River, those in the urban area, had a weaker baseline connection to the river. Yet, after the project, the same group showed significant growth in this connection. They were able to better articulate what the river meant to them and described feeling inspired by others’ stories. Conversely, those near the Raquette River, the more rural community, already had a stronger baseline connection to their local river, and thus described how the initiatives reinforced their already-established feelings about the river instead of significantly strengthening or changing it.

These findings support that storytelling and embodiment techniques can be effective ways to bolster connections between the mind, body, and environment. It also brings to light the importance of consistently experiencing nature, as it will build foundations of empathy and understanding for the surrounding environment, which can be a strong catalyst for change.

Collecting climate stories in the Adirondacks

The Adirondack Climate Project, another EchoLab initiative, began in 2022 in collaboration with the in order to gauge the Adirondack community’s feelings about climate change. Pasquarello Beauchamp and Ashenfelder achieve this by using a portable audio recording booth and asking those around the Adirondack Park to share their experiences and stories related to climate change. Anyone in the park, whether they be visitors to the area or nearby residents, are able to share. Students in the Climate Interventions class also participate in collecting these stories.

Each summer, the stories are shared with various artists, all New York State residents, who create art based off of what they hear in these stories at a micro artist residency, similar to the process used in the Climate Interventions class. The art created during this five-day trip is posted in an as well as displayed in various in-person exhibitions.

The importance of this work

Pasquarello Beauchamp stresses the importance of art and these initiatives in influencing people to physically experience nature as a means to reconnect and grow empathy for the natural world. “It always has an aesthetic element to it, an embodied element, and a conceptual element to it, so it’s using a larger term of art as a framework to address [and] engage,” Pasquarello Beauchamp says.

The Climate Interventions class specifically encourages the younger generation to start thinking about and discussing climate change in an environment that is safe, creative, and community-centered. All of these initiatives allow participants to examine their relationship with nature, the environment, and how their experiences relate to climate change, and then invite them to act in ways that are both creative and tailored to their own interests.

The interdisciplinary aspects of these projects aid in reaching a broad audience of people and exemplify how there are a variety of ways that the University community can engage in climate change awareness and sustainability.

Written by Raelen Green, ‘28

The post Faculty and students take climate action through art appeared first on Sustainability.

The department’s new name addresses a common misconception, better reflects the true nature of its academic offerings and research, and catalyzes new opportunities for growth.

The misperception of chemical engineering

Modern chemical engineering plays a critical role in advancing battery technology, developing energy-efficient systems, and reducing or remediating waste. The field is central to the global demand for sustainability, yet in the public eye, it is often associated with environmentally harmful industries, such as oil and gas. Although chemical engineers work across a wide range of sectors, many people—particularly prospective students—continue to associate the field primarily with petrochemical industries that are viewed as environmentally unsustainable. This perception obscures the reality that chemical engineers contribute to nearly every facet of modern life.

At the URochester, chemical engineering faculty and students conduct work in , including biomedicine and biotechnology, catalysis and electrochemistry, energy and sustainability, micro- and nanosystems, polymeric materials, and simulations and artificial intelligence. Their work addresses major societal challenges, from developing safer and higher‑energy batteries, to reducing infection risk with biopolymer‑based implants, to designing manufacturing processes that minimize waste.

Aligning name and identity

When the department voted on a proposal to adopt the name “Chemical and Sustainability Engineering,” the support was unanimous. “Chemical Engineering” alone no longer adequately conveyed the breadth of the department’s societal impact or the opportunities it offers to students.

Sustainability is embedded across the department’s six core research areas, whether through energy-efficient manufacturing, recyclable product design, energy-optimized AI systems, or sustainable practices in healthcare technologies. Student researchers are increasingly drawn to these challenges, with nearly all undergraduate and graduate research projects being heavily engaged with sustainability.

This commitment extends into the classroom. For years, the department has offered numerous programs and courses focused on environmental solutions, including an MS track in sustainability in the environment, a minor in environmental engineering (in partnership with the Department of Earth and Environmental Science), several sustainability engineering electives, and an Introduction to Sustainable Energy course required for all first-semester chemical engineering students.

Adding “Sustainability Engineering” to the name was therefore seen as an advantage to the department, with the hope that it will more immediately and clearly signal to students the department’s academic focus on addressing global environmental challenges.

Unlocking new opportunities

Few engineering departments nationwide have incorporated sustainability directly into their names, giving the University a leg up in achieving broader recognition of the sustainability advances coming from its engineering faculty and students.

The name change is expected to help generate increased interest from industry partners, prospective students, and other University departments seeking interdisciplinary collaboration around sustainability.

Learn more about the name change in this October 2025 article from the Ģ����ý News Center.

Written by Maryellen Zbrozek, Sustainability Programs Specialist

The post Renamed department showcases sustainability focus in chemical engineering appeared first on Sustainability.

Winnow units in dining halls

Eric Barker, the senior director of Campus Dining and Auxiliary Services, explains how Winnow, a URochester partner, uses “cameras and a very intuitive AI software” to identify food scraps from the kitchen. This system informs employees how much food is thrown away, what the food is, and saves pictures for analysis. These pictures then allow managers to view the food that is being thrown away and ensure that it only consists of unusable food scraps. Back-of-house Winnow systems are currently in place in the kitchens at Danforth Dining Hall, Douglass Dining Hall, Eastman Dining Hall, The Pit in Wilson Commons, and the Douglass Commissary Kitchen.��

In addition to the Winnow units in the kitchens, customer-facing units are planned to be installed in the all-you-care-to-eat facilities during the 2026 school year. Barker explains how the system works: “When a plate is placed under it, it will photograph the plate, [then] determine a dollar value of the food that was wasted…We’re hoping it will educate customers to know what’s being left there, and then it’ll also give us a better idea as to the value of [the] food being wasted.”��

The benefits of Winnow

The Winnow units are about 92% accurate, and they allow managers to determine the most significant sources of food being thrown away. By analysing this data, managers will be better informed on the proper quantities of food they should be purchasing and serving. This will help to prevent wasted food at the source, which is the most preferred way to minimize environmental impact according to the .��

Operationally, dining managers will be able to optimize the processes used by their employees such that food waste is minimized in the preparation and serving of food. When the customer-facing units are installed, the collective information will also give a better idea on where Dining can prioritize training and education based on the amount of waste being produced by the kitchen versus the students.��

Other food waste reduction initiatives

In addition to the Winnow units, there are several other food waste reduction initiatives happening around campus. Usable food is donated to local organizations, with River Campus Dining donating an estimated 1.64 tons in 2025.��

Unusable food scraps are also diverted through a commercial composting process at both Eastman and River Campus. Pre- and post-consumer food waste is collected and composted by the University’s waste vendor, and the resulting compost can be used as fertilizer. In 2025, Eastman Campus collected a total of 16.06 tons of organics, while River Campus collected 127.71 tons.��

Further improvements are also expected. According to Eric Barker, the organics collection at Connections Cafe is in the process of being increased. Connections also uses a locally roasted coffee, reduces materials needed for shipping, and supports local, eco-friendly farming methods.��

Reducing food waste at URMC

The Ģ����ý Medical Center (URMC) also has several initiatives in place to reduce food waste.��

According to Shelley Barker, Purchasing Manager for the URMC Food and Nutrition Department, “meal counts are reviewed three times a day, [and] items are prepped with recipes that are sized for the current levels [of patients] plus 5% for overportioning.”��

In addition, unused products from the hospital’s tray line can later be sold at the cafe. URMC also aims for its menus to have a lower environmental impact. Their regular menu deemphasizes beef and instead consists mainly of chicken and vegetable-based food options. This allows the menu to be healthier and promote a greener environment, as beef production is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.��

URMC also runs a food donation program through Foodlink. Their pantry runs in seven units in the hospital, and ten affiliates outside the hospital. Bags containing shelf-stable foods such as pasta, rice, canned goods, and more are donated to food insecure individuals. The food in these bags can feed a family of four for about three days, according to Shelley Barker. URMC staff assemble and box these bags to deliver to offsite locations. On average, 409 bags are distributed per month.

The URochester, including URMC, will continue to make strides to mitigate food waste and use sustainable practices with food handling and distribution. Current and future initiatives will not only reduce food waste, but also reduce the University’s carbon footprint, cut unnecessary spending, and provide broader educational and training opportunities through the analysis of food waste data.

Written by Raelen Green, ‘28

The post Ģ����ý makes strides to reduce food waste appeared first on Sustainability.

Energy costs are rising, spurring businesses and homeowners alike to think twice about their energy use. The Ģ����ý is no exception; its group has been working for years to reduce and improve the efficiency of the University’s energy consumption—saving costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

, the 2020s have been characterized by energy price volatility owing to factors like the growth of natural gas exports, increasing demand from data centers and large industrial loads, and a transitioning energy grid. Seasonal changes, like the extreme winter weather New York has experienced in early 2026, also play a crucial role in energy price surges.

So, what can be done to reduce energy strain at the University, both to save costs and be conscientious consumers? University energy engineer Tim Vann answers common questions about the energy cost spike, what the University is doing to improve how it consumes energy, and how members of the University community can help.

��

How much are energy rates rising right now, and why is this happening?

Unusually extreme cold weather across much of the country has caused an increased demand for natural gas, causing its price to rise. In turn, this has caused the price of electricity to rise, as natural gas is the primary fuel for about half of the electricity generated in New York State.

For the University, our gas rates are locked in, so they are unaffected by short-term fluctuations. However, this is not the case for our electricity rates.

In January 2026, the average cost of electricity was up 50% compared to January 2025. At its worst, the electrical energy rate peaked at 29 times the average monthly price. So far, the average cost of electricity in February 2026 is up nearly three times the average for February 2025.

With these prices in mind, now is a good time to consider how we are using energy at the University.

��

If I’m not paying for electricity at school or work, why should I care about how much I use?

All energy production, especially from fossil fuels, comes with negative consequences. The more energy we consume at work, at home, in our schools, etc., the more energy needs to be produced.

All energy production creates some degree of pollution. Research consistently links air pollution, particularly from fossil fuel combustion, to respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and other adverse health outcomes. Reducing unnecessary energy use, even in small ways, contributes to a larger collective impact. That makes eliminating unnecessary energy use a win-win-win-win: Money is saved, pollution is reduced, human health is better protected, and the environment is healthier.

As an institution with a heavy focus on healthcare, reducing pollution aligns directly with our mission to support and improve health. We should treat energy as a precious resource, using only what we need. Energy that we don’t use today will be available tomorrow, and it will make tomorrow a better place for all.

��

Is the University asking employees to solve this problem through individual behavior changes?

No. However, we are asking employees to be aware of energy use and its cumulative impact on the budget, the environment, and human health, and then to reduce unnecessary energy consumption where possible. At the same time, the University will continue to tackle big energy projects.

Treat the University like your house. Turn off lights and equipment when they aren’t needed. Use energy, but don’t waste it.

How is energy use distributed across the Ģ����ý’s operations?

Ģ����ý 75% of the energy used by the University is for heating, cooling, and ventilating buildings. The buildings that use the most energy are medical and research buildings, which use 2-4 times the energy of a comparably sized building. Buildings with heavy research or intensive patient care needs—like operating rooms—use the most energy, while office areas use the least energy.

��

You mentioned that the University is working on some big energy projects. Could you give examples of what changes are being made?

With the extreme weather we have been experiencing this season, one of the immediate operational changes has been implementing temperature setbacks where possible across the University.

In addition to managing operations to ensure the University has the power and heat it needs, a large portion of what Energy Services does make improvements in energy efficiency. Here are some of the projects we have been working on recently:

• Since 2022, we have been improving the efficiency of our cogeneration system, which is the single biggest consumer of energy. This is an ongoing process, with more changes expected this year.
• We have been and will continue to install new controls in our buildings for more efficient HVAC system operation.
• We are upgrading our chilled water system over the next three years to convert a portion of it from using natural gas to electricity, make the system more efficient, and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• A Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) system pilot was started two years ago with promising results. This system monitors HVAC system operation and suggests changes to improve comfort, decrease energy use, and reduce the need for maintenance. It is currently installed in over 1 million square feet of building space, and we are in the process of installing it in more.
• We have made investments into improving our energy metering, monitoring, and analysis systems and capabilities, which help us target and evaluate energy projects.
• In 2025, over a million square feet of medical buildings went through a commissioning process to identify energy and operational improvements.

��

That’s a lot of changes. Has the University’s energy use actually gone down?

Yes. Since fiscal year 2022, we have decreased our energy intensity by 23%. Energy intensity is the amount of energy used in a year from all sources divided by the area of all buildings. Since we keep building and purchasing additional buildings, this is the fairest way to evaluate our energy consumption.

In absolute terms, our total energy consumption went down by 10% while our building area increased by 17%.

I understand that most energy goes towards heating and cooling buildings.��I think my work area doesn’t need to be heated or cooled as much as it is, but I don’t know how to change this. What should I do?

If the temperature in your immediate workspace needs adjusting, contact the to put in a temperature modification request.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce heating and cooling energy is through well-aligned building scheduling. It is very typical for University buildings to be scheduled to be occupied longer than necessary because of uncertainty in building use.

If you know your building’s system is running longer than necessary, coordinate with your fellow occupants and then contact your building manager or the and have them adjust the schedule accordingly.

Uncertainty also causes inefficiencies in our ventilation systems. Spaces are typically ventilated based on how many people could possibly be in a room, not how many are actually occupying it. If you have information about how many people are in building spaces and you share that with the building manager and Energy Operations Group, they might be able to adjust the ventilation rate accordingly. This not only would reduce energy use, but also improve comfort; buildings that are overventilated typically feel cold and drafty, even in the summer.

��

Are there other impactful things I as an individual can do?

Be a champion for energy and resource conservation. Talk to your coworkers about energy conservation, about preserving natural resources and reducing pollution for our descendants. There are many people worldwide working on cleaner energy solutions, and this is making progress, but not using unnecessary energy is always better than switching to a cleaner energy source. Awareness is powerful.

If you have suggestions for energy or resource improvements, bring them up and talk about them with your coworkers. If your group thinks these are practical, discuss them with your building manager.

��

To learn more about energy conservation at the URochester, visit the . Energy usage data by location is also available via the and , available to everyone on an official University network.

For more resources on what you can do to be more sustainable at work, including energy-saving tips, check out the Sustainability Toolkit.

The post The energy spike: A conversation with the University’s energy engineer, Tim Vann appeared first on Sustainability.

If the healthcare industry was a country, it would be the , falling between Russia and Japan. Of the many fields of medicine, radiology is one of the most energy-intensive owing to its dependence on sophisticated imaging equipment. A single MRI scanner has an average energy consumption of , an amount equivalent to that produced by 10.6 average U.S. households.

A costly problem meets an innovative solution

MRI scanners are made up of components whose lifespans don’t align. The magnet—the core of the system—lasts about 30 years. However, the surrounding technology evolves rapidly. According to Dr. Eric Weinberg, professor of Clinical Imaging Sciences and vice-chair of operations, this is the problem, but also the great thing about this technology. Its rapid advancement leads to better diagnostic capabilities, improved patient experiences, and greater efficiency for healthcare workers. On the other hand, keeping up with new innovations is financially daunting given the immense cost of purchasing and installing new scanners.

In 2020, UR Medicine Imaging Sciences determined that several MRI machines required updates owing to technological advancements in the field. When Weinberg consulted with the vendor, GE HealthCare, he learned that the machines could be remanufactured on site, keeping the existing magnet but upgrading the technology surrounding it. The cost was half that of buying a new scanner, yet produced a machine identical to brand-new.

“And then of course, the part that no one talked about, which I was quite interested in, was: What is the environmental impact of not throwing out the entire original device?” reflects Weinberg.

This initiative is part of last year to advance care and technology throughout the health system.

Environmental benefits of rebuilding MRI scanners onsite

URMC has refurbished five of six MRI scanners in need of updates, with the final machine scheduled to be worked on this year. Since this work began in 2020, GE HealthCare started keeping track of the environmental benefits of MRI refurbishment. Once work on all six machines is complete, UR Medicine Imaging Sciences will have avoided an estimated 288 tons of CO­₂ emissions and saved six tons of helium. Helium is needed to cool MRI magnets and is a rare, finite element that has experienced shortages in recent years.

The new technology installed during the rebuilding process also carries environmental advantages. Deep learning reconstruction, which harnesses AI to quickly remove noise from scanned images, allows the updated machines to consume 30% less energy. The result is better energy efficiency, higher quality images, and shorter scan times, improving the patient experience and allowing for maximized use of each machine.

Rebuilding onsite also drastically reduces material waste. “MR scanners contain hazardous materials like mercury and beryllium that can pose serious risks if not handled correctly, so we don’t really want more of those to go to the landfill,” says Dr. Jennifer Harvey, professor and chair of Imaging Sciences. Under GE’s program, 94-96% of system components are reused, harvested, or recycled.

Enhancing patient care

In addition to saving the institution millions of dollars, this approach also enhances patient care. The speed of the newly rebuilt scanners allows radiology technologists to care for more patients more quickly while securing higher quality images than ever before.

It takes anywhere from six weeks to a few months to “strip and rebuild the scanners” and upgrade the room. That is faster than installing a new MRI machine, primarily because of the improvements that are needed to support the technology, and the physical challenges of getting the system into the facility, which often includes opening walls or ceilings and use of a crane.

When a scanner is shut down for replacement, wait times for appointments get longer. But once completed, the Imaging team can catch up quickly.�� Weinberg says, at one location, MRI capacity was about 350 patients per month.�� After the upgrade, that number rose to 500 per month, because it takes less time to capture the needed images – a significant benefit for the community.

Department-wide sustainable practices

Rebuilding onsite is only one part of the department’s push towards being more environmentally sustainable. After an hour of idle time, scanners go into power saving mode (though this generally does not occur since days are booked with patient care). The machines are shut off at night and over weekends.��Additionally, by switching to syringeless injectors for contrast—the substances used to highlight specific structures in the body—the department has reduced a considerable amount of waste in CT scanning.

“It’s a more efficient process,” says Weinberg. “There’s less contrast waste that’s going on, and there’s less plastic that you’re throwing in the garbage as a result.” This system is now the standard for all CT scanning across UR Medicine Imaging Sciences. Last year alone, the department conducted over 100,000 CT scans, making the reduction in materials quite significant. The team is looking to implement similar injector systems for their MRI scanners in the future.

Looking forward

By rethinking equipment use, reducing emissions, and embracing more efficient technologies, UR Medicine Imaging Sciences is helping shape a more sustainable future for radiology, one in which patients and the planet benefit together.

The key challenge, notes Harvey, is balancing the push for more earth-friendly practices with access to all of the constantly evolving science. The need for that balance is beginning to gain the attention of radiologists nationwide. “Our field is really embracing this now for the first time,” says Weinberg. “I think going forward, radiology is going to be very invested in this, as it should be.”

By Maryellen Zbrozek, Sustainability Programs Specialist

The post Rebuilding MRI scanners reduces waste, boosts efficiency for UR Medicine appeared first on Sustainability.

Earlier this year, the Sustainability Office coordinated a pilot program to improve recycling at the School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD), (academic and research areas, including the Kornberg Medical Research Building and the Del-Monte Neuromedicine Institute/MRBX). Participation of SMD community members and compliance with recycling procedures is vital to achieving a successful pilot, which will pave the way to improved recycling across the Medical Center.

Progress

Since February, cardboard recycling has had zero contamination. Normally, contaminated loads must be landfilled. By keeping cardboard clean, an estimated 51-136 tons have been saved from the landfill compared to 2024. This is great news!

Unfortunately, the plastic, metal, and glass stream has been highly contaminated. This means that most of these materials went to the landfill instead of being recycled. The Sustainability Office shared positive updates via email about the recycling program from March through July without knowing about this contamination issue. The Office learned the truth from the University’s waste and recycling vendor only recently, and we apologize for the incomplete information. We’re committed to addressing this and are looking for the support of all at SMD as we work to improve.

What’s next?

We are trialing new improvements on the back end, with the goal of decreasing the plastic, metal, and glass contamination rate and obtaining better data. However, in order for the program to be successful we need your help to reduce contamination.

How can you help?

• Follow the guidance. Labels based on Monroe County guidelines are on recycle bins. You are welcome to print out the labels attached to this email. You can also for more information. For laboratory settings, please to learn about lab-specific recycling. If you have questions or have high-volume items that you are not sure about, you can always email us to ask.
• Keep these OUT of the recycling: Plastic bags, plastic film, and Styrofoam. These are the most common and problematic contaminants.
• If you notice that totes and/or guidance labels are missing in your area, let us know or talk to your Environmental Services coordinator.

If you have any questions, concerns, or are interested in more background information about the successes and challenges of the pilot, please reach out to us at sustainability@rochester.edu. Thank you for helping us keep recyclable materials out of the landfill.

The post Calling all at SMD to help keep recycling clean appeared first on Sustainability.

(H&G) operates with a mission to be stewards of the University’s land while supporting conservation, inspiring learning, and fostering community connections. The department integrates these practices into the management of the University’s outdoor spaces, including the River Campus, Medical Center, Eastman School of Music, the Memorial Art Gallery, and other off-site properties.

Sustainability through the seasons

As part of its responsibility for de-icing the walkways and roads across campus, H&G has recently adopted a measurement-based approach to de-icing, earning them the in 2025. The key is the use of brine (liquid salt) to pre-treat the pavement so that ice doesn’t form on the ground. This method is effective at keeping pavement safe, and it is better for the environment than traditional solid salt.

“Essentially, salt doesn’t actually disappear. It goes into our waterways…just because it dissipates, it doesn’t go away. You can’t really reverse salt once it’s in the waterways,” explains John McIntyre, Manager of Horticulture & Grounds at the URochester.

As water flows from the Genesee River into Lake Ontario, excess salinity threatens native fish populations and promotes the growth of invasive species like zebra mussels. By tracking the pounds of salt used and following SWiM™ practices, the department has successfully reduced its overall salt usage by approximately 30% over the past two years, dramatically lessening the environmental impact while maintaining safety on campus. Additionally, by blocking off some staircases and paths, H&G reduces the need for salt in these areas.

Recognized excellence and data-driven management

The department’s commitment to environmental best practices has earned significant external recognition, affirming its leadership role in campus grounds management. In addition to the SwiM™ Certification, recent awards include:

• Accredited Arboretum through Morton Arboretum ArbNet (2021) – Recognized for excellence in horticulture, conservation, and education
• Tree Campus USA – Acknowledged for 15 consecutive years of engagement in tree and environmental stewardship
• PGMS “Grand” Green Star Award (2024) – Honored for leadership in beauty, safety, and sustainability in grounds maintenance

Cultivating community

Hand-on education is an additional focus for Horticulture & Grounds. The team leads and supports numerous hands-on initiatives that engage students, faculty, and community members. This includes recent projects like creating a rain garden with Hydrology students, developing pollinator gardens alongside student groups, and hosting tree tours. McIntyre is passionate about these collaborative efforts. “We want students to be able to enjoy these areas, and we want to know that they’re enjoying them in a very clean way,” he says.

The department recently partnered with the City of Rochester on the “Tree Equity Through the City of Rochester” initiative, planting 43 trees with students at School 17. They also planted 50 native perennials with third-grade students from Anna Murray Douglass Academy, School No. 12, behind the Provost House, creating an accessible learning garden.

“This initiative embodies our mission to connect education, equal access, and sustainability, ensuring that every community has access to the health and environmental benefits of trees,” says McIntyre.

The department has much to be proud of, but to McIntyre, the thing he takes the most pride in is his team. “None of these initiatives can happen without the team…if we rely on one person, then we’re bound to fail.”

Written by Kylin Roberts, ’26

The post University earns recognition for commitment to winter environmental stewardship appeared first on Sustainability.

These improvements target the Plant’s , which simultaneously generates electricity and hot water. Cooperative efforts across Energy Services staff over the past three years have led to immense strides in improving the operational efficiency and cost effectiveness of this system. Now, Energy Services is addressing the system’s physical limitations to unlock even greater benefits.

How does the cogeneration system work?

The cogeneration system works largely through the production and utilization of steam. First, the system’s pumps push water into boilers, which are heated by natural gas, to produce steam. Steam leaves the boiler and enters a turbine, which leads to a generator and produces electricity. This steam can then go back into the system and be used to make hot water, which is run through pipes to heat campus buildings. If not being used to produce hot water, the heat from the steam is rejected into the atmosphere via cooling towers – the water vapor produced by this heat rejection can often be seen exiting the Central Utilities Plant on Elmwood Avenue.

While independently generating electricity and heat has a total efficiency of 56%, the cogeneration of the two has an 80% total efficiency, making it a much more efficient system.

Limitations of the existing equipment

Despite being more efficient than individual heat and electricity production, the cogeneration system has certain limitations that prevent it from running at an ideal efficiency. One major limitation is that the pumps that move water into the boiler must be constantly run at a suboptimal water flow rate.

“Since the water going to the boiler can only go down to 50% of its maximum flow rate, that means the boiler has to make at least 50% of its maximum amount of steam,” says Tim Vann, Energy Engineer at the Central Utilities Plant. “That steam then goes to the turbine, which generates electricity. The waste heat from the steam that’s going to the turbine should go to making hot water—and some of it does—but there’s only so much hot water that the campus needs.”

This means that some of the steam produced must currently be rejected into the atmosphere, providing limited benefit to the University. Additionally, the pumps generate too much pressure for the system, sometimes requiring the boilers to open safety valves to relieve that pressure. In turn, the system needs to be shut down, and hot water must be made through a different set of heat exchangers, which is less cost effective.

What changes will the project make?

“In any system, there’s waste energy. We’re trying to reduce that,” says Vann.

The project will rework the pumps to allow them to run down to 18% minimum of their maximum flow rate. This will be achieved by trimming the pumps’ impellers (the component of the pump that spins to move water through it), cleaning the pumps, testing them, and then recertifying them. New piping and valves will also be put in.

The combination of these changes will improve flow control and allow the cooling tower to be turned off during winter months (October to May) to save money, water, and energy. Additionally, after these changes are made, the boiler’s minimum flow rate will be cut down from about 80 klb/h (thousands of pounds per hour) of steam to about 25 klb/h, a 69% reduction. This means that the boiler’s steam production will be able to better match the University’s need for hot water.

Benefits of the project

The project is expected to take 6-9 months in total, providing a myriad of benefits once completed. One such benefit is a lowered carbon footprint.

“If you’re looking to cut our energy use and our CO2 emissions, we need to focus on reducing our natural gas, which is what this project is doing,” Vann says. Ģ����ý 87% of the Ģ����ý’s greenhouse gas emissions come from natural gas, according to Vann.

Once the pumps are able to run at a lower flow rate, the amount of water the system moves can be better matched proportionally to the actual campus needs for hot water. This will cut down the natural gas needed to heat the boilers by about 100,000 mmBtu (one million British thermal units) in the October to May period, enough to heat over 1,700 average American houses for a year. Electricity usage will be decreased by about 4,500,000 kWh, enough electricity to power one average American house for 425 years.

These gas and electricity reductions amount to a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of at least 6,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, with approximately $850,000 expected to be saved between October and May each year.

A cultural shift

Making operational changes and planning for physical improvements to the cogeneration system has not always been easy. It has required the challenging of cultural norms and tradition to find new ways of doing things.

“None of this would have been possible without people being willing to work together and accept change,” says Vann.

It was not until everyone came together to make the system operate more efficiently that the physical limitations of the system became apparent. A continued collaborative spirit allowed the group to diagnose and document the physical changes that were needed, resulting in the upcoming optimization project for both environmental and financial benefits. This is just one of many examples of how innovation in one area can serve many different efforts for improvement.

The cogeneration optimization project will contribute to a greener campus and make strides for a future that values environmental consciousness at the intersection of engineering and sustainability.

Written by Raelen Green, ‘28

The post New energy project to cut natural gas usage and reduce carbon emissions appeared first on Sustainability.

According to the , a brownfield is typically a former commercial or industrial property harboring hazardous contaminants, pollutants, or substances that prevent redevelopment and the buying or selling of the property. Without proper intervention, such properties remain contaminated and unusable.

With a rich industrial history, Rochester is a prime example of the need for brownfield remediation. There are estimated to be over 450,000 brownfields within the United States. As of 2023, New York State has 669 brownfields currently under redevelopment, according to the (NYSDEC). This includes the brownfield just across the Genesee River from the URochester.

This site is just one of many parcels of land spanning 30-40 acres east of Plymouth Avenue, collectively called the ‘’ (BOA). This land once housed the Vacuum Oil Company (a predecessor of ExxonMobil), which operated as an oil storage, refinery, and blending facility from 1866 to 1935.

The industrial activity that historically took place in the Vacuum Oil BOA has led to soil contamination, still present after 90 years. “The primary contaminants at the [Vacuum Oil] site are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs), and heavy metals, which are all constituents of petroleum products” says Anne Spaulding, Manager of Environmental Quality for the City of Rochester. These industrial remnants make cleanup a complex endeavor.

Timeline and current activities

Cleaning up the brownfield from the Vacuum Oil refinery is a phased effort that began in 2015. The current phase focuses on excavating the contaminated top layer of soil within the next month and installing new uncontaminated soil in its place. The City of Rochester and NYSDEC have set clear benchmarks for progress: from assessment, sampling, and remediation to eventual site redevelopment and habitat restoration. Passersby might see work crews, heavy machinery, blocked-off land, and large informational signs around the area.

However, Spaulding assures that the trail and surrounding area are safe for students, staff, faculty, and community members to continue to use during the cleanup process.

“There are no exposure pathways, or routes of exposure, for the contaminants currently known to be present at the site to affect the community or trail users,” says Spaulding. “While low levels of contaminants, mostly metals, are present in the shallow subsurface soils, gross contamination is bound up in subsurface soils at depths in which people will not normally come into contact. In addition, the City prohibits the use of groundwater as a potable source of water, so there is no risk of exposure to dissolved contaminants.”

Looking forward

Remediating brownfields is about revitalizing neighborhoods and nature, not just clearing away old pollutants. Across the state, this work paves the way for new parks, businesses, trails, and housing, improves local air and water quality, and helps reduce health risks linked to environmental contamination.

Several other Vacuum Oil brownfield sites along the Genesee River Walkway are undergoing remediation, among many other brownfields in Rochester that are being or have been redeveloped. For instance, one landfill site has been redeveloped into a that, in its first year, eliminated the equivalent of 2,300 tons of CO2 emissions. Other sites have been turned into safe residential areas, commercial buildings, and more. A list of other brownfields can be found through the .

For those passing by the fenced-off areas along the Genesee, the ongoing brownfield cleanup reflects a city addressing its industrial past while working toward a safer and healthier environment. As projects like this continue, Rochester is creating opportunities for new uses of these spaces and contributing to long-term environmental improvement.

Written by Kylin Roberts (’26)

The post Beneath the surface: The cleanup transforming the Genesee Riverbank appeared first on Sustainability.