Green Living at Stanford

Stanford is filled with dedicated students, staff, administrators, faculty, and community members working to make the campus more sustainable. To find out more about their work, as well as how you can get involved in these efforts and green your own lifestyle, explore the links below.

Campus Centers for Sustainability

The Sustainable Stanford initiative brings together groups and departments from all across campus to coordinate sustainability projects and enact campus-wide policies for greening the University. Led by the Department of Sustainability and Energy Management, the initiative also includes the Sustainability Working Group and numerous Sustainability Working Teams. The initiative's website offers a comprehensive look at Stanford's sustainability efforts in all areas, from energy and water to waste and procurement.

The Woods Institute for the Environment serves as a hub for all academic work related to the environment and sustainability. From international climate change policy to the future of the world's fisheries, the cutting-edge research being conducted at Stanford targets real-world problems and produces innovative solutions. Housed in the new Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment and Energy Building (Y2E2), one of the greenest facilities on campus, the Woods Institute is the place to go for the latest thinking on how to achieve a sustainable future for our planet.

Guides for Sustainable Living on Campus

For students, your first and best resource for information about how to live and work sustainably on campus is you residence's Green Living Coordinator. To search for your Green Living Coordinator by residence or name, click here. You can also make a personal commitment to living sustainably by taking the Green Living Pledge. To search for more information on your own, explore the sites below.

A Student's Guide to Sustainable Living at Stanford

Everything you'll need to know for how to green your daily life on campus, including how to reduce electricity consumption, where and what to recycle, how to choose local and organic foods, and much more. Developed by students, for students, it's an invaluable resource!

Download the paperless PDF version.

Sustainable Choices Pocket Guides

These handy, pocket-sized sustainable living guides were developed by students and faculty in Stanford's Earth Systems program. The guides provide a wealth of information for choosing sustainable options both on and off campus. Don't leave home without one!

Learn more and download a copy.

Additional Resources by Topic

Energy and Water

• Learn about Stanford's wide-ranging Energy Initiatives.
• Find more Energy Conservation Tips from Stanford's Utilities Department.
• Learn more about saving energy in University computing at Sustainable IT.
• Everything you'll ever want to know about Water Conservation at Stanford.

Living Green in Student Housing

• More information about green living from Student Housing.

Sustainable Dining

• More information about sustainable eating from Stanford Dining.
• Learn all about Stanford Dining's exciting work in bringing sustainable food options to campus.

Recycling and Waste Minimization

• Don't know what's recyclable on campus? Looking for where to put your electronic waste? Find everything you need to know at the Stanford Recycling Center!
• Reduce waste by donating or selling used items and buying used instead of new! It's cheaper and better for the environment. Three great websites help Stanford students share, buy, and sell items: Frenting.com, Techtain.com, and SUpost.com. Sign up today!
• Drop by the Union Underground, Stanford's Free Store, to get free stuff and donate your own items.

Transportation

• Bikes, buses, Caltrain, and more - there are lots of ways to get around Stanford and the Bay Area without a car. Explore options at Parking and Transportation Service's Alternative Transportation page.
• Instead of bringing your own car to campus, fulfill your occasional automotive needs by signing up for Zipcar's easy car rental service.
• Carpool - it's a great way to meet new people and reduce greenhouse gas emissions! Zimride's easy online tools allow you to arrange carpools by posting rides you're willing to share and searching for others with space in their car.

Buying Green

• The Stanford Bookstore offers a wide range of sustainable supplies made from recycled products, including notebooks, pens, and printer paper. Stop in today!
• Planning a party or event? Instead of adding to a landfill by using disposable red cups, buy recyclable alternatives and other sustainable products at the Stanford Green Store.

Student Groups

• From community gardening to environmental consulting, there's a student group on campus to fit your interests! See a full list.

Academics, Courses, and Research

• Find out about all the exciting research and projects going on at Stanford in the areas of sustainability and the environment by visiting Stanford's Environmental Portal.
• There's no better way to learn about environmental topics than by taking a class from one of Stanford's amazing professors. Find a full list of courses related to the environment here.
• Looking to major in an environmental field? Earth Systems, the School of Earth Sciences, and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering are just a few of the options, but great places to start.
• Want to get out into the field? Find out about research and study opportunities at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve and Hopkins Marine Station.