Local Partners
Part of our sustainability effort includes making sure that we use as many local products as we can — it is so important to work with our neighbors! This focus has gotten even closer to home with our expanding Campus Grown projects.
Electric Buses
Proterra Catalyst electric buses are expected to arrive on campus within the next academic year! In April 2019, UGA received a $10 million grant from the GO! Transit Capital Program administered by Georgia's State Road and Tollway Authority, which allowed UGA to establish a contract to purchase up to 20 Proterra Catalyst E2 electric buses. In December 2019, UGA was awarded $7.46 million under the Federal Transit Administration’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program to purchase an additional 13 electric buses.
Vertical Aeroponic Gardens Debut at Oglethorpe Dining Commons
Oglethorpe Dining Commons has introduced six new Tower Gardens®, a self-watering and self-contained aeroponic vertical gardening system. Vertical aeroponics allow fruits, vegetables, herbs, leafy greens and edible flowers to be grown on campus.
New Golf Carts at the UGA Golf Course
We are excited to announce that our new E-Z-GO golf carts have arrived and are out on the course! Recent golfers have said they enjoy the new GPS technology, which provides you with valuable course information such as your distance from the hole and course photos. The new fleet is also safer, with a revolutionary IntelliBrakeTM system that provides a more responsive ride. Plus, they look great!
Tate Student Center Initiatives
Dining Services’ locations in Tate Student Center have a variety of sustainability initiatives, including becoming 100% plastic-straw free, replacing Styrofoam with compostable fiber containers, and eliminating plastic carry-out bags.
Trayless Dining
Students at UGA can now save nearly 107,142 pounds of food and 16,550 gallons of water per semester by eating in a trayless dining system. Before removing trays from their five dining commons, UGA Food Services worked with the UGA Office of Sustainability to collect data on trayless dining during a two-week pilot study.
EV Charging Stations
Drivers of electric vehicles (EV) can charge their vehicles on campus thanks to a partnership between UGA Transportation & Parking Services, the Facilities Management Division, and the Office of Sustainability. UGA's North, South, and East campus decks now feature Level 2 Electric Vehicle Chargers.
Reducing Food Waste
Reducing food waste on campus has been a top priority for Dining Services, in partnership with the UGA Office of Sustainability and UGA Facilities Management Division, over the last few years. For example, food waste from fruits, vegetables, grains, and coffee grounds and other compostable items are pulped and sent over to the Bioconversion center, where it is composted.
Golf Course Wildlife
The UGA Golf Course maintains a variety of sustainability initiatives to make sure the course has a low operational impact on the environment. Did you know that there are more than 100 different species identified on the course?
LED Lighting
UGA Transportation and Parking Services have installed new, environmentally friendly lighting in the Intramural Fields and Performing Arts Center parking decks. The installation of these new LED lights will create a well-lit area for customers.