In Fall 2024, the “Sustainable Aggies” First Year Aggie Connection, or FYAC, conducted a mini-waste audit of the Segundo residence halls at UC Davis. The results were eye-opening: of the 22.1 pounds of waste audited, less than 25% was actually landfill-destined. Instead, 44% of the waste consisted of recyclable materials, and 32% was compostable.
The University of California, Davis, is the “greenest” campus in the United States for the ninth year in a row, according to the 2024 UI GreenMetric World University Rankings.
Beginning in September 2024, the UC Davis campus community will see a significant shift in the packaging of beverages sold in retail locations as well as vending machines across campus. Approximately 80% of PepsiCo beverages will be packaged in aluminum, glass, recyclable cartons, or other non-plastic containers.
Nearly a decade ago, campus leaders at UC Davis decided to invest in a small team of employees to reduce energy by optimizing building controls and systems. The concept was that UC Davis could fund such a team, if it could curb high utility bills — essentially having the team pay for itself with energy savings.
Eric O’Brien’s new position as director of Sustainability at UC Davis is just the latest chapter in his lifelong story of commitment to sustainability.
