Sustainability
Learn. Lead. Conserve.
The University of Dayton is a leader in sustainability efforts, and we're committed to making the world a better place — for everyone.
Our work toward a more sustainable world crosses disciplines, programs and divisions, and the University earned a gold STARS rating for our sustainability achievements. The Princeton Review also named UD a "green college."
$1 Million
annual energy cost savings since 2022 through energy efficiencies
1000 lbs
campus food waste diverted from landfill each day
Sustainability at UD
UD Dining started using compostables in 2009 and has successfully diverted several tons of waste from going to the landfill. Also, Dining Services' three largest dining facilities haul all compostable waste to UD's on-campus in-vessel composter.
Explore Sustainability in Dining Services
Sustainability scholars across campus study various aspects of sustainability, including climate change, renewable and alternative energy, public policy, energy-efficient design and lean construction, the environment, food systems, religious practices and more.
View the List of Scholars
A fair trade university, UD is part of the U.N. Global Compact, the Global Catholic Climate Movement, Second Nature's Resilience Commitment, Second Nature's Carbon Commitment and "We're Still In."
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Solar Prairie
Flowers & Power
The front lawn of Daniel J. Curran Place is a living laboratory dedicated to sustainability. The solar prairie includes 81 types of annual and perennial plants and 2,805 single-access tracking solar panels.
Sustainability Research
Linking Climate Patterns and Water Supply
With a National Science Foundation grant, Zelalem Bedaso and Shuang-Ye Wu research the link between rain-producing climate patterns and water supply in the Horn of Africa.
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Arctic Algae
The National Science Foundation awarded two UD researchers a three-year, $201,655 grant to predict the growth and movement of large algae blooms in the Arctic Ocean, related to that region's warming climate. The interdisciplinary project combines artificial intelligence, theoretical physics and biology.
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Glacial Findings
Environmental geologist Umesh Haritashya recently published two separate studies -- one on melting glaciers, and one on the 2021 Himalayan Landslide -- that provides critical insights on disaster governance, sustainable development and other issues.
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