Collaborative action

ASU continues to embed sustainability into the goals, policies, procedures, decisions and daily activities of departments across the institution through collaborative action.

Commitments

• Annually increase integration of sustainability practices into campus operations and functions.
  • Examples of progress:
    • ASU Grounds has implemented a closed-loop system that turns campus green waste into fresh compost.
    • ASU Grounds, Sun Devil Fitness and University Sustainability Practices collaborated with the City of Phoenix and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to test a hydrogel polymer in sports fields on the West campus as a new way to save water.
  • Earn and retain at least 70% of operations-related points in the AASHE Sustainability Tracking and Rating System by fiscal year 2019.
    • Update: In FY2023, ASU earned 53.57 of 71 possible points, meaning 75% of operations-related points in its STARS Platinum submittal.
• The Office of Student and Cultural Engagement, Sun Devil Fitness Complexes, International Student Engagement and the Committee for Campus Inclusion host a number of workshops, presentations, training sessions, and experiences that reach across the breadth and depth of cultural competencies. The entire university community is welcome to attend every event. More can be found in ASU’s AASHE STARS submission.

ASU's Sixth Annual State of Sustainability Summit was held virtually on Oct. 14, 2020. This event celebrated the many sustainability achievements of ASU and its partners from the past year.

Eco Reps Program

USP has piloted the Eco Reps program at ASU with grant funding from Coca-Cola. Eco Reps are students interested in educating peers in their residential halls about ways to introduce sustainability into their daily lives. The program hires students from these residential halls:

• Adelphi Commons.
• Barrett Residential Complex.
• Manzanita Hall.
• Palo Verde East.
• Palo Verde West.

Eco Reps play a vital role in encouraging sustainability among students. In fall 2022, the first cohort of ASU Eco Reps successfully engaged their communities on a variety of sustainability topics through educational engagement. Follow USP on Facebook and Instagram to see what Eco Reps are doing around campus this semester.

Additional resources

Do you have an idea to improve practices to achieve sustainability? ASU provides a number of tools and programs to assist:

• Facilities Development project guidelines.
  • The project guidelines integrate green building recommendations and requirements throughout the sustainable design, design, technical and other guidelines for new construction and renovation projects. 
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certifications.
  • The LEED rating system encourages and recognizes high-performance building practices in the categories of Integrative Process, Location and Transportation, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Material and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation. ASU has a minimum LEED-NC silver certification policy. ASU parking garages on the Tempe campus are also ParkSmart certified. The Orange Mall is SITES certified, and ASU is pursuing SITES certification on additional landscape and hardscape projects.
• Sustainability Recognition Program.
  • ASU’s Sustainability Recognition Program offers many ways for the university community to contribute to ASU’s sustainability goals. Participants are guided through a variety of sustainability practices centered around energy, waste, water, procurement and health and well-being. You, your team, or your department can receive a recognition. Click here to enroll in the ASU Sustainability Recognition Program.
• Sustainability Initiatives Revolving Fund.
  • The Sustainability Initiatives Revolving Fund was established in fiscal year 2010 to invest in projects that foster and enable sustainability efforts and provide an economic return on investment. SIRF funds are available to all ASU community members.