Green Living Guide
Sustainability at UCI
UCI is one of the most recognized higher education institutions for sustainability leadership and for its holistic sustainability accomplishments. UCI sustainability initiatives are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion work centered in justice.
Get connected!
- Learn more at the UCI Sustainability website website or UCI News.
- Sign up for the UCI Sustainability Resource Center Weekly Digest filled with events and opportunities.
Review our top green living tips below and join UCI Student Housing in fostering a culture of sustainability on campus.
Conserve Resources
UCI Housing has implementented sustainable features and programs to support our sustainability goals, such as achieving zero waste and decarbonization. Many of UCI’s Dining locations, residence halls, and apartments are LEED certified for their energy, water, and resource saving design.
Energy
- Unplug electronics and chargers when not in use. These “energy vampires” suck up stand-by power.
- Using a power strip or surge protector can make turning off multiple appliances and chargers fast and easy.
- Use cold water when washing clothing and hang dry when possible.
- Purchase LED energy efficient light bulbs and lamps. Be sure to turn off lights when not in use.
- Live up to the University of California motto “Fiat Lux” meaning “let there be light” and let natural light brighten your room.
- UCI amenities are Energy Star rated. Make sure any appliances or devices you bring are energy efficient and UL Listed for safety.
Water
- Halls feature low-flow showerheads and toilets. Shorten your showers by one minute and save 550 gallons a year.
- Run full loads of laundry.
- Turn off faucets when not in use.
- Report leaks to Housing Operations immediatley.
- UCI Housing uses third-party green certified cleaning and custodial products. Looks for biodegradable, environmentally-friendly products at the market.
Food
- Be a Plant-Eater. Eat a diet full of fruits and vegetables.
- Look for vegan hacks, reusable containers, and water and energy Anteater Footprints in the Dining Commons.
- UCI is a Fair Trade Campus. Learn about Fair Trade products. They include requirements around worker’s rights, fair labor practices, and responsible land management.
- Volunteer in the Ants in your Plants Garden in Arroyo Vista.
- Visit a campus Seed Library.
Reduce Impacts
UCI is committed to minimizing the material going to landfill and maximizing the materials that are recycled and composted, leading to lower greenhouse gas emissions, a cleaner environment, and more green innovation.
UCI defines zero waste as diverting 90% or more of campus municipal solid waste from landfills. Learn about recycling and composting at UCI on our YouTube playlist.
Zero Waste Tips
- Break down and flatten your cardboard boxes, then take them to a designated area or recycling container outside your hall/ house.
- Pack reusable containers, utensils, and a water bottle. A water refill station is located in each hall.
- Compost in your hall/ house. Each residence hall/ house kitchen has been provided with a composting container lined with a biodegradable bag.
- Try thrifting, repairing, purchasing second hand, or buying items made with durable material.
- Donating is recycling. Over 20 Goodwill donation bins are located across UCI Housing communities year round and additional bins are brought in each June for Move Out. Bins are marked on community maps. UCI Housing donates 70 tons of usable goods to local partners each year.
- Goodwill bins will accept and locally, securely recycle e-waste.
- Visit the Zot Exchange, our on campus freecycle center, located in Verano Place.
- Battery and ink cartridge recycling bins are located in each community’s Community Center or Main Offices.
Engage Actively
UCI Housing is working to ensure that students have a healthy, inclusive environment in which to learn for generations to come. Your actions, individually and collectively, contribute to a more sustainable and just campus, region, and world.
Transportation
- Ride UC Irvine’s all electric Anteater Express Shuttle Service, with stops near each of the housing communities.
- The University Pass is a discounted bus pass that gives you unlimited use of all regular OCTA routes for one year.
- The League of American Bicyclists recognizes UCI with a Gold Bicycle Friendly University rating. Get the latest maps, rules, and safety tips from bikeUCI.
- Zipcar is a University Carshare program that offers vehicles for rent by the hour or day.
- More Information is available on Surviving UCI Without a Car.
Well-being
- UCI is a Health Promoting University. Wellbeing is a core component of both health and environmental sustainability.
- Campus offers a host of holitic Student Wellness Resources.
Environmental Justice
- All California is Indigenous Land. Acknowledge Indigenous communities as caretakers whose sacred efforts to steward and protect the land, water, and air continue today.
- Learn about environmental justice (EJ), an important part of the struggle to improve and maintain a clean and healthful environment, especially for communities of color who have traditionally lived closest to the sources of pollution.
- Join the Environmental Justice Collective (EJC) at UCI or attend their programs to become more involved with EJ at UCI.
Conservation
- Learn about plant and animal life around UCI. Always observe from a safe distance.
- Be politically active; vote, and write to/call your representatives when there’s an important conservation issue on the table.
- Find ways to volunteer locally, on things like trash cleanups, citizen science projects, or conservation education projects.
- Enjoy local trails. Follow Leave No Trace principles with UCI Outdoor Adventures.
