Your everyday choices – what you eat, toss, buy, and how you move – add up. Discover simple steps to live more sustainably at Stanford.
Make a difference with every toss—sort your waste into landfill, recycling, and compost using the bins provided in your room. Free compost pails are available at your student housing center, and compost bins are located across dining halls and dumpster sites. Every correctly sorted item helps Stanford get closer to zero waste goals while turning food scraps into nutrient-rich soil.
Start smart by packing only what you need and choosing durable, reusable items to cut down on waste. Opt for products with minimal, recyclable, or compostable packaging to reduce your environmental footprint. Thoughtful choices from the start help conserve resources and lower the impact of new production.
Give your stuff a second life by donating or selling unwanted items through the Give & Go program, local donation centers, or resale platforms like SUpost. You can also recycle e-waste at housing front desks or drop off larger items at PSSI. These actions help reduce landfill waste—Give & Go alone has kept over 50 tons of goods out of the landfill in just three years.
Cut down on waste by carrying a reusable cup and utensils for meals and campus events instead of using disposables. Single-use items like red plastic cups aren’t recyclable and can take centuries to break down. Plus, bringing your own mug can earn you a discount at Stanford Hospitality locations!
Save time, energy, and water by only doing laundry when you have a full load. In R&DE Student Housing’s HE washers, use just ¼ cup of detergent—more isn’t better and can actually make clothes less clean. Smart laundry habits help maximize efficiency and reduce your environmental impact.
Choose the cold water setting when doing laundry—it cleans just as effectively and helps your clothes last longer. Since heating water accounts for about 90% of the energy used in a wash cycle, switching to cold is an easy way to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint.
Save energy and extend the life of your clothes by air-drying whenever possible. If you use a dryer, combine loads and avoid over-drying by checking clothes regularly. These simple habits reduce energy use and make your laundry routine more sustainable.
Shorten your showers and turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving to save water. Every minute less in the shower can save up to two gallons, and even small changes add up—like fixing drips that can waste 20 gallons a day. Water conservation is especially critical in drought-prone California, where usable water is extremely limited.
Reduce your energy use by switching to LED bulbs, using smart power strips, and relying on shared appliances instead of personal ones. Plug load — everything you plug in — accounts for over 22% of Stanford’s electricity use, so managing it makes a big impact. Avoiding personal fridges, TVs, and space heaters and using energy-saving tools like Stanford’s Big Fix software can help lower your footprint even more.
If you spot a leaky faucet, toilet, or other issue, report it right away through a Fix-It request at fixit.stanford.edu or contact your Housing Front Desk. Quick action helps conserve water and prevents potential damage. Even small leaks can waste a surprising amount of water over time.
Get around campus by biking or walking — it’s efficient, convenient, and ideal since most students live close to where they need to be. Choosing active transportation helps reduce your carbon footprint. Plus, Stanford offers great support for cyclists, including repair stands and the Campus Bike Shop.
Take advantage of Stanford’s free Marguerite shuttle and explore public transit options like regional buses and Caltrain for longer trips. Choosing public transportation helps cut down on traffic and air pollution. It’s a simple way to support a more sustainable campus and Bay Area.
Opt for vegetarian or vegan meals more often, and try challenges like Meatless Monday to reduce your environmental impact. Even small shifts — like choosing chicken instead of beef — can make a difference. Since about 14% of your personal climate footprint comes from food choices, eating more plant-based is a powerful way to lower it.
Take only what you can eat in the dining hall, and compost any leftovers in the designated bins. Going trayless can help reduce food waste by encouraging mindful portions. Cutting down on waste conserves resources used to produce food and supports composting efforts that turn scraps into valuable soil.
Explore sustainable spots around campus and learn more about operational sustainability by exploring this site, where you can dive into initiatives like Stanford Energy System Innovations (SESI) and water conservation efforts. Understanding how Stanford operates sustainably boosts your own Sustainability IQ. The more you know, the more your actions can support the university’s long-standing commitment to sustainability.
Stanford has set a new benchmark for sustainability at live events through its first major concert hosted by Stanford Athletics and Stanford Live. Sustainable Stanford hosted a fireside chat with sustainability leadership from Live Nation and Warner Music Group in tandem with this milestone.
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.