R&DE Student Housing

The Sustainable Living program collaborates with students, staff and academic departments to foster behavior change and to integrate long-term sustainable thinking into how we operate.

Strategic Projects and Programs:

• In response to the drought, we are replacing over 20,000 pieces of irrigation equipment, reducing water consumption in the landscape by over 30 million gallons, and creating weather based control. All interior plumbing fixtures meet or exceed current California code low flow standards to conserve water.
• We are retrofitting lighting systems throughout residences with new LED bulbs that last 5x as long and use less energy than the current fluorescents.
• We partnered with the Green Living Council and Students for a Sustainable Stanford on projects from installing rain water collection tanks and solar, to energy and water reduction competitions in residences.
• We continue to strive toward zero waste through improving access and awareness of interior and exterior collection points for composting and recycling. We manage a donation drive, Give & Go at the end of each academic year that diverts over 50 tons of material from the landfill.
• We apply sustainability principles to all renovation and construction projects.
• We are piloting green cleaning products that will dramatically decrease our chemical usage, are water based and cause no harm to human health or the environment.
• We hire 5-10 student interns annually that focus on sustainable behavioral change and research in residences.
• Read more about Student Housing's Sustainability initiatives

R&DE Stanford Dining

The Sustainable Food Program is dedicated to educating students and the community about how their food choices affect the environment. In collaboration with students, staff, and faculty, we raise awareness through lectures, special events, academic partnerships, and hands-on learning in our cooking classes and organic gardens.

Our strategic objectives are:

• Support a sustainable future through sustainable purchasing and menuing practices
• Educate and empower the Stanford community to make sustainable food choices
• Provide hands-on learning experiences growing and cooking food from our organic gardens
• Reduce our impact on the earth's resources through efficient and  sustainable operations, focusing on water, waste and energy reductions
• Read more about Stanford Dining's Sustainability initiatives

R&DE Hospitality & Auxiliaries

Stanford Hospitality & Auxiliaries is committed to reducing our environmental impact through strategic purchasing, waste reduction, efficient operations, and staff training.

Our strategic objectives are to:

• Purchase sustainable ingredients
• Reduce our impact on the environment by providing reusable dishware where possible and compostable products where reusables are not possible
• Provide composting and recycling in all cafes and minimize food waste
• Read more about Stanford Hospitality & Auxiliaries Sustainability initiatives

R&DE Stanford Conferences

Stanford Conferences integrates sustainable practices into all aspects of the event planning process through electronic communications instead of using paper, choosing local and/or organic catering and dining products when possible, reducing waste and increasing recycling, and recommending public transportation and carpooling to events to decrease our carbon footprint.

Our strategic objectives are to:

• Minimize printing of materials by using electronic event advertising instead of paper communications
• Provide reusable name badges and recycle badges
• Recommend nearby accommodations with public transit access