Campus Initiatives
At Seattle University, we are committed to operating our campus sustainably. We’ve been recognized for our efforts with 18 awards. Here’s a look at what we do with buildings, climate action, compost, dining, energy, landscape, recycling, transportation and water. For details, click the links on the left.
- Four LEED Gold buildings
- Two Built Green 3-star remodeled homes
- To-go ware from campus eateries is compostable.
- Campus compost facility annually turns 52,000 pounds of food waste from the restaurant kitchens into compost
- Over 200 food waste bins on campus- in the residence hall rooms, cafes, office kitchens, and outside buildings
- 40% of produce comes from 20 local farms
- Vegan options at each meal
- Fair Trade, shade grown and organic coffees
- 20 cent discount on all coffee drinks and fountain soda when you bring your own reusable mug
- Energy conservation
- Solar panels on two buildings
- 50 acre campus maintained organically and without pesticides and herbicides since 1998
- Landscape designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1989
- Green roofs on two buildings, two rain gardens and a rainwater cistern
- 58% of campus waste is recycled, composted or reused
- Spring Move Out collects and donates students' unwanted
clothing, food, furniture, electronics, and school supplies
- SU Bookstore recycles dead books or sends to third world countries, and buys and re-sells used textbooks up to 10 times
- One-third of campus vehicles are electric.
- Zipcar parked on campus for car sharing and Seattle U discounts the membership
- Commuter incentives include a subsidized transit pass, car/van pool parking discount, showers and lockers.
- Bottled water is not sold on campus.
- Water bottle fillers and filters installed on 31 water fountains
- Ultra low-flow toilets, urinals, faucet aerators and shower heads
- Water-efficient landscape practices