Sustainability

A Leader in Sustainability

R&DE is proud to be a leader in sustainability. We are committed to excellence, which means continually implementing policies and practices that preserve our natural resources and reduce our overall impact on the environment. Through partnerships with students and academic departments, R&DE has made a significant positive impact on the awareness and habits of our students and customers.

R&DE Student Housing    |    R&DE Stanford Dining    |    R&DE Stanford Hospitality & Auxiliaries    |    R&DE Stanford Conferences

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

R&DE Stanford Dining is committed to providing healthy and delicious meals that nourish students while supporting a sustainable future and positively influencing lifelong eating behaviors. In collaboration with students, staff, and faculty, R&DE Stanford Dining works to reduce our food related environmental impact through innovative procurement strategies, food waste reduction, and promotion of more plant-forward food choices.

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
  • Reduce our impact on the earth's resources through efficient and sustainable operations
  • 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

 

 

Please contact our Sustainability Managers with any questions or comments:
Kristin Parineh, Sustainability Manager, Student Housing: kparineh@stanford.edu
Jackie Bertoldo, Sustainable Food Program: jackiebertoldo@stanford.edu

Read more about Stanford University's Sustainability initiatives.