by NYUGreen

Green Welcome Week 2024!

NYU Welcome Logo

The Office of Sustainability is excited to be participating in Welcome Week 2024! Swing by one of the many events that we’ll be at to meet our office and other students interested in environmental issues, and to learn about NYU’s climate goals and how you can get involved in sustainability on campus. You can learn more about us and what we do at nyu.edu/sustainability. We can’t wait to meet you soon! 

University-Wide Tabling

  • Transfer Students Pre-Orientation Program: Fri, 8/26 from 1:30pm-2:30pm
  • NYU Welcome Weekend Info Fair: Sat, 8/24 from 10am-5pm & Sun, 8/26 from 10am-4pm

School-Specific Tabling & Presentations

  • Liberal Studies Pre-Orientation Sustainability Presentation: Tues, 8/20 from 2pm-2:30pm
  • Graduate School of Arts & Science Resource Fair: Wed, 8/21 from 12pm-3pm
  • Center for Data Science Orientation Sustainability Presentation: Tues, 8/27 from 2:15pm-2:45pm
  • Tandon New Student Orientation Fair: Wed, 8/28 from 10:30am-4:15pm
  • Global Public Health Resource Expo: Thurs, 8/29 from 11am-1pm
  • Year 2 Launch Party: Thurs, 9/5 from 2pm-3pm

Office of Sustainability Events

  • Green Campus Tour: Join us for a walking tour of NYU’s green spaces including green roofs, urban farms, and themed gardens. On the tour, you’ll also learn how NYU is building a more environmentally sustainable campus.
    • Wed, 8/28 from 11am-12pm
    • Thurs, 9/5 from 2pm-3pm
  • Climate Action Mixer with Plant Meditation and Plant Giveaway: Participate in a 30-minute meditation offering gratitude to the natural world. Afterwards, enjoy plant-based snacks while getting to know your peers.
    • Thurs, 8/29 from 12:30pm-1:30pm
    • Wed, 9/4 from 12:30pm-1:30pm
by NYUGreen

NYU Ranked by Times Higher Education

 

THE Impact Rankings Logo

NYU has been ranked within the top 20 in the USA across multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by Times Higher Education’s University Impact Rankings for 2024! These rankings show how universities across the world are progressing towards prosperity for people and the planet through their respective goals.  

 

Take a look at how NYU ranked:

SDG 2 – Zero Hunger

  • #11-15 in the USA 
  • This goal aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. 

SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy

  • #11-16 in the USA 
  • This goal ensures access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. 

SDG 11- Sustainable Cities and Communities

  • #10-18 in the USA 
  • This goal aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. 

SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production

  • #7-11 in the USA 
  • This goal ensures sustainable consumption and production patterns are maintained. 

SDG 13 – Climate Action

  • #5-13 in the USA 
  • The goal is about taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impact. 

NYU continues to demonstrate its dedication to tackling global issues such as environmental sustainability, social inclusion, economic growth, and partnerships by achieving excellence across a range of SDGs. 

 

by NYUGreen

NYC’s Sustainable Trash Bin Policy: Revolutionizing Commercial Waste Management for a Greener City

Greetings, fellow urban dwellers! It’s your favorite city-dwelling pigeon here, flapping in with some exciting news about New York City’s recent trash bin revolution. Hold onto your feathers because the Big Apple is taking a significant step toward a cleaner, greener urban jungle.

What’s All the Coop About?

So, the humans at the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) have rolled out a groundbreaking trash bin policy for commercial businesses. Starting March 1st, 2024, every business tossing out waste must use these fancy new containers with secure lids. No more unruly black bags cluttering the streets—just sleek, secure bins ready to tackle the city’s waste in style.

Feathers Up for the New Rule! 

This isn’t just a style upgrade, my feathered friends. These secure lids are here to tackle the unsightly mess of loose trash, reduce the rat parade, and create a healthier and safer living space for our human counterparts. It’s a win-win for everyone—less mess for us pigeons to navigate, and a cleaner, greener urban landscape for the humans. 

NYU Takes Flight

Guess what? NYU’s getting in on the action too! Our commercial facilities are already complying with this feather-friendly rule, ensuring that our waste pickups are as tidy as a freshly preened set of pigeon feathers.

trash bags piled up outside of an NYU building
7 containerized waste bins neatly securing waste outside of an NYU building
Before implementation of the rule After implementation of the rule!


What’s on the Horizon?

Hold onto your tail feathers because there’s more to come! DSNY plans to swoop in and containerize trash from small residential buildings starting in Fall 2024. They’re even testing out this revolutionary approach in larger residential buildings. Together, we can flap our wings and actively contribute to transforming the city into a more environmentally conscious and resilient paradise.

So, my feathery friends, let’s celebrate this trash bin makeover and soar together towards a greener, cleaner New York City! Flap on, eco-warriors!

by NYUGreen

Taking Sustainable Graduation Photos

Two students in their graduation gowns posing in front of the archEvery May, public spaces near NYU buildings (like Washington Square Park) are flooded with violet gowns and black caps as graduating students capture photos they’ll cherish for years. Cameras flash and families exchange congratulations. The streets in between the many iconic NYU buildings come alive in jubilation.
 
But after the party ends and the graduates leave, the setting is quite different. Glitter, balloons, and streamers may look great in pictures, but a lot of them get left behind and become an environmental nuisance. 
 
Don’t let your joy become a pain for the parks, the streets, or the planet! Below are some tips on how to celebrate your graduation more sustainably.

 

 

  1. Instead of glitter: visual effects. Glitter gets everywhere – even when you do your best to clean it up. It also takes thousands of years to fully break down, threatening wildlife and polluting our water. Even edible glitter can be quite toxic to smaller animals. Instead, consider using filters and camera apps on your phone to achieve the same effect. It’s easy to add sparkle to your photos after taking them, especially with so many free apps available. Think pixels, not trash!
  2. Instead of streamers: ribbons. Streamers may be pretty when they float around us in photos, but they are made of harmful plastic. Instead, consider tying ribbons to sticks to create ribbon wands. A great addition to any celebration, from graduation to weddings, ribbon wands are colorful, flow like streamers, and are fun to dance around with and use for photos. Many of us already have ribbons at home, and after you craft your ribbon wands, you can continue to reuse them many times! To get a streamer effect, ask friends and family to shake the ribbon wands around you so that the ribbons frame your photos.
  3. Instead of balloons: banners. Balloons can be harmful to wildlife, who may get tangled in them or try to eat them. When they get stuck on trees, balloons are difficult to remove, posing a threat for months. Finally, there’s a shortage of helium – the gas that makes balloons float – and whatever is left should probably be used in more critical settings, like healthcare (helium is a necessary component of many MRI scanners). Even so-called biodegradable balloons are not easily biodegradable, and are the number one type of balloon found in the stomachs of wildlife. Instead of balloons, try having a banner with you in your photos. Banners can be made from leftover paper or old fabric you may already have at home or can buy at thrift stores. You can even paint any message you want. Try using an old bed sheet for a really huge and impactful banner! Or, have loved ones hold up both sides of a paper banner and run through it like a sports star! (Just don’t leave the parts behind in the park when you’re done.)
  4. Instead of standing or sitting in the flowers: get creative with your angles. The flowers in most city parks, including Washington Square Park, don’t just sprout when spring comes around. A team of people plan and plant the gardens every year, making sure to pick flowers that are both beautiful and helpful to the local fauna (like bees and other pollinators). When you step into a flower bed for a picture, you might not notice yourself causing much damage – but imagine what it looks like after hundreds of NYU graduates do the same! So if you want a flowery photo to commemorate your graduation, try getting creative with your camera angles. You don’t need to be in the flower bed to look like you’re in the flower bed. Have a friend get low to the ground on one side of the flowers while you stand on the other side. Take a selfie from above so that your whole background is flowers. Options abound! 

We are so proud of our graduating NYU students. You worked hard and deserve this momentous occasion! We hope you find time to celebrate yourself and all of those who have helped you get here. And when you do, remember sustainable practices!

Congratulations to the Class of 2024 from the NYU Office of Sustainability. #GoViolets

by NYUGreen

NYU Ranks in the USA Top Ten for QS Sustainability Rankings

QS World University Rankings Logo

NYU is ranked #8 in the USA for the 2024 QS Sustainability Rankings, up from #17 in 2023! 

The QS Sustainability Rankings measures an institution’s ability to tackle the world’s greatest ESG challenges and features nearly 1,400 universities worldwide. 

For environmental impact, the ranking explores environmental education, research, and sustainability. For social impact, it examines employability and opportunities, equality, health and well-being, the impact of education, and knowledge exchange. And for governance, the ranking evaluates indicators of good governance such as student representation and dedicated staff for sustainable development. 

NYU continues to strive for excellence in sustainability with projects and initiatives like the Coolfood Pledge, the Passive House retrofit of Rubin Hall, and the goal of being completely climate-neutral by 2040. 

A big thanks to everyone who tirelessly contributes to our ongoing sustainability efforts!