Sustainability Efforts On Campus

• In 2017 the University of Missouri received its first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum-level building certification for sustainable practices implemented during design and construction of Wolpers and Johnston Hall.  At 173,6700 gross square feet, the renovation project also represents the University’s largest LEED-pursuing project to date. This project brings the total LEED projects earning certification across campus to nine, with over half of the projects achieving Gold-level or above. Seven additional projects are currently pursuing LEED certification across campus including residential, medical, educational and athletic facilities.

• MU implements a broad-based recycling program covering all areas of the campus and even including events, such as football games at Faurot Field and concerts at Jesse Auditorium.  MU’s recycling program also includes Tiger Treasures, which collects and sells unwanted items donated by students departing for the summer from MU Residential Life facilities as well as fraternity and sorority houses. This project diverts tons of material from the landfill, and proceeds from the sale benefit our local University Y.
• Our campus Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Facility is recognized as one of the most efficient plants in the nation by the EPA Energy Star CHP Partnership.  This high level of efficiency reduces costs and emissions for MU compared to traditional power plants.
• Campus is nationally recognized as a botanic garden and has been certified as the 15th Bee Campus USA affiliate in the nation. The landscaping uses minimal amounts of fertilizer and has implemented Integrated Pest Management. The grounds host many native plants and even a butterfly garden.
• The MU Office of Sustainability strives to make bicycles a safe and affordable option for commuting, to reduce environmental impact through the use of non-motorized transportation and to encourage personal health through exercise. With that said, MU Sustainability offers a free 24-hour bike rental with the help of the MU Bike Share Program and free bike repairs for students’ personal bikes via the Bike Resource Center.

STARS Performance at MU

STARS stands for Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System. This system is administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education also known as AASHE. The sustainability-focused framework STARS has developed helps engage and recognize secondary education institutions from all types of backgrounds, from public community colleges to private universities, for their efforts to be a sustainable campus year-round.

• We take great pride in the fact that the University of Missouri is one of only four schools in the Southeastern Conference to earn a gold STARS rating. Many members of the campus community work tirelessly to make MU a leader in sustainability. Understand how we rate so you can help us improve our efforts campus-wide.
• MU Received a 100 percent rating on academic courses which is categorized under curriculum. The university was honored for offering over 200 undergraduate courses that focus on sustainability and 138 graduate courses that focus on the topic as well.
• Our campus engagement received a rating of 20.50/21.00. This was in part due to our student educators, MU Sustainability Student Ambassadors, who provide outreach and learning opportunities on a variety of sustainability-focused issues. Additionally, campus engagement highlighted MU’s student organization Sustain Mizzou. This student group promotes sustainability as a way of life, providing their peers with an array of sustainability projects on and off campus.
• An area that MU would like to continue to strengthen is our waste minimization and diversion. Each faculty, staff, student and visitor can do his or her part by visiting our recycling resources page or requesting a brief recycling presentation to understand what is recyclable and what is not. By properly recycling, our contamination levels decrease, our waste minimization levels improve and more materials will be diverted from the landfill.