Campus Sustainability Progress Report

The Tufts University Sustainability Progress Report updates the Tufts community on the University's progress toward meeting the energy & emissions, waste, and water goals outlined in the 2013 Campus Sustainability Council Report.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

Photo: Tufts Century Ride (Alonso Nichols/Tufts University)

Campus Sustainability Progress Report

Fiscal Year 2016

Tufts plays a crucial role in helping the world adapt to a changing planet while tackling such challenging issues as climate change and resource depletion. As active citizens, we have a responsibility to examine our impact on the environment and our surrounding communities. Sustainability at Tufts is a collective effort spanning departments, offices, and our campuses in Medford/Somerville, Chinatown, Fenway/Mission Hill, and Grafton. 

The Campus Sustainability Progress Report contains information about Tufts’ sustainability programs, initiatives, and accomplishments from fiscal year 2016 (July 2015-June 2016).

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

Table of Contents

Education & Accolades

Waste

Energy & Emissions

Buildings & Infrastructure

Campus Report Cards

University-Wide

Boston

Grafton

Medford/Somerville

Explore Report by Campus:

Boston

Grafton

Medford/Somerville

Compare Campus Report Cards:

Energy Use

Water Use

Waste

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

Education & Accolades

Students, faculty, and staff worked on projects that earned Tufts multiple environmental awards and rankings, highlighting our university-wide commitment to sustainability.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

Tufts Dining is the first food provider in Medford and Somerville to receive certification from the Green Restaurant Association and the first university to certify all of its dining locations at three stars or above.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

Photo: Green Roof Research (Alonso Nichols for Tufts University)

The Princeton Review included Tufts in its 2016 Guide to 353 Green Colleges, celebrating institutions with an overall commitment to sustainability.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

Photo: Tufts Food Rescue Collaborative (Anna Miller/Tufts University)

The Princeton Review added Tufts to its 2016 list of Top-25 Impact Schools, highlighting colleges and universities with excellent community service opportunities, student government, sustainability efforts, and on-campus student engagement.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

Photo: Lab at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Complex (Alonso Nichols/Tufts University)

The Sierra Club highlighted Tufts on its 2016 Cool Schools list, featuring higher- education institutions making progress in the areas of campus energy use and transportation.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

Photo: Green Dorm Certificate (Tufts Eco-Reps)

44 students received Green Dorm Room Certifications for following sustainable practices while living on campus.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

Photo: Eco-Ambassador Mugs (Alonso Nichols/Tufts University)

Eight employees became Eco-Ambassadors after they completed a year-long certification program featuring environmental behavior change and communications strategies.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

Students and faculty worked on sustainability research projects, including: 

Graduate students in UEP 0255, Field Projects: Planning & Practice were partners with community organizations to complete eld projects focused on critical environmental issues, such as community-shared solar, food access, parks and open space, and active commuting. 

Students in EM-51, Engineering Management researched potential projects on the Tufts Medford/ Somerville campus, including the potential use of reusable to-go containers in Hodgdon and Mugar cafés, creating a vertical urban farm to grow food on campus for Tufts Dining, and studying the costs and bene ts of replacing paper towers with electric hand dryers in the bathrooms in Anderson Hall.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

Photo: Dining Hall Preparation (Joanie Tobin/Tufts University Photo)

Tufts Dining is working to reduce the amount of animal protein served in the dining centers, focusing on creating plant-forward meals. For example, they invited the Humane Society to campus to provide plant-based culinary education and training to staff.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

Photo: Zero Waste Week/Jumbo Mountain (Tufts Eco-Reps)

690 students learned about sustainability issues through Eco-Rep events in the residence halls.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

The Environmental Studies program added a Food Systems & Nutrition minor encompassing a wide array of topics addressing sustainable food production, policy, access, and nutrition.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

Photo: Tufts University Photography

Nine offices and departments earned Green Office Certifications. There are 26 certified green offices across the university.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

About 30 employees completed the online sustainability training programs, which included information about sustainability programming and how to minimize energy use and waste in the workplace.

[sustainabilityprogresstufts]

The Tufts Institute of the Environment welcomed eight new fellows who focused their research on interdisciplinary environmental topics, including: food-related travel, fluid milk waste, fracking wastewater treatment, conservation agriculture, water scarcity, conservation grazing, land-use alternatives for American lawns, and marine animals ingesting plastic.