Decked out in cowboy paraphernalia, the Sustainable Stanford team came together at the All Alumni Farm Fest to highlight Stanford’s commitment to sustainability.
Alumni and their families were empowered with the knowledge to make educated waste decisions and had the opportunity to learn more about Stanford’s environmental achievements and goals. The Sustainable Stanford team was met with enthusiasm from alums of all ages, who came with curiosity and jumped at the chance to get clarity on their waste sorting questions.
Although it was wonderful to share how far Stanford has come in terms of sustainability work, even more rewarding was hearing from alumni who were directly involved in this work long before there were dedicated resources for sustainability work at the university. When doing work oriented towards the future it can be easy to lose sight of the accomplishments of the past. Sustainability initiatives have come a long way from past reliance on fossil fuel energy and no campus-wide initiatives to divert waste from landfill, to a present-day Stanford that procures 100% renewable electricity and has reached a 69% waste diversion rate.
Among so many inspiring alumni, our team was excited to meet Jay Klemme, who started up a recycling program in his undergrad residential housing, and Bryan Quintanilla, a former zero waste intern and creator of the Sustainable Stanford team’s waste sorting display.
After a full afternoon of good conversation, the Sustainable Stanford team left fulfilled, happily reminded that it’s thanks to the work of those that came before, including many alumni, that Stanford has achieved so much in the sustainability realm. There is something so lovely about those moments where the past, present, and future intertwine into a shape that looks an awful lot like hope.
From reducing embodied carbon in construction to piloting organic landscape management, the annual Student Sustainability Symposium highlighted how student-led innovation is driving sustainability at Stanford.
Laura Segura Gonzalez, a second-year design student, is leading jean upcycling workshops to combat fast fashion waste, empowering students to transform old jeans into something new.
Events like Big Swap, a swap event run by-and-for students, aim to use Stanford resources to codify cultural norms of sharing and increase the efficacy of reuse initiatives.
