On Friday, June 21st, Cornell participated in Daylight Hour 2019. 14 departments participated by turning off artificial lights and relying on sunlight, in an effort to reduce energy consumption in office spaces on campus and worldwide. 

Find out where you can sustainably dispose of recyclable goods, and odd items like electronics, your energy bar wrapper and much more!

Plastic bags are being banned in New York State.  What should you do with the bags you have?

“It’s fair to say that this atrium is now the heart of our college – our ‘living room,’ so to speak – where everybody goes,” said Wayne A. Davenport, director of facilities at the College of Veterinary Medicine. “The expansion has transformed us. Striving for LEED certification helped to create a strong sense of community in the center of our college.”

Awarding renewable energy accolades in several categories, Cornell was ranked second in the list of schools replacing fossil-fuel powered systems with renewable systems for efforts to transition heating, cooling, and power systems over the last decade.  

New research conducted by Cornell researchers used campus data to create new models for hybrid energy systems using both heating and electricity. The study was inspired by the Cornell Earth Source Heat project, in which faculty, students and staff are exploring geothermal energy as a sustainable method of heating the Ithaca campus.

Campus plastic bag recycling bins are being phased out across Cornell effective this summer, 2019. Learn why this effort is a part of a positive change in New York State recycling and single-use plastic laws.

See this year's rankings from Cornell's participation in the six week RecycleMania competition. 2019 marked the 10th year of competition with other campuses nationwide to reduce waste, increase recycling, and collect compostable and electronic recycling materials.

The ceremony included remarks by senior leaders, and awards for students for sustainability innovation and lifetime service.  The event also includes presentation of 'sustainability honors tassels' to graduating seniors who have committed themselves to a lifetime of sustainability service and learning.

From the rooftops of Cornell’s proposed North Campus Residential Expansion (NCRE), the university hopes to gather enough solar energy to offset the new buildings’ electricity use by up to 35%, create about 1 megawatt of electricity annually and further reduce the university’s carbon footprint.“Cornell has a goal for the Ithaca campus to become carbon neutral using 100% renewable energy by 2035,” said Rick Burgess, vice president for facilities and campus services. “In line with this commitment, and encouraged by campus and community input, we are seeking to increase the amount of renewable energy that will be used in the proposed project. We are aiming to make a great project even better.”