
How Northeastern Goes Green
Thanks to high-impact changes in building construction, recycling practices, and other features of campus life, Northeastern has earned distinction as a green university.
The university was a 2007 signator to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment and reaffirmed its support for the 2015 Paris Climate Accord in mid-2017. Year after year, the university appears in the Princeton Review’s Green Campus Survey and GreenMetric Ranking of World Universities. And participation always runs high in the student-led Recyclemania, an annual recycling competition among U.S. educational institutions.
Results by the numbers
In 2013, Northeastern became Boston’s first educational institution to join the Real Food Challenge when it pledged to purchase at least 20 percent of food supplies from local, sustainable sources by 2020. The campus boasts five LEED-certified buildings: Dockser Hall, Gold 2009; International Village, Gold 2010; George J. Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security, Gold 2014; East Village, Silver 2015; Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex, Gold anticipated in 2018
Recycling, Boston campus (in tons, 2017)
1.1 | Batteries |
104.6 | Bottles and cans |
226.4 | Cardboard |
678 | Compost, food (pre- and post-consumer waste) through student-led “Be Green” program, launched in 2012 with NU Dining Services |
281.2 | Compost, landscaping |
32.4 | Electronics |
152.5 | Grease, “brown” drain-trap |
19 | Grease, “yellow” fryolater |
12.3 | Mattresses |
250.6 | Mixed paper |
5.2 | Petroleum, antifreeze |
27 | Trash2Treasure annual event-goods redistributed |
190+ | refillable water-bottle stations reduce bottle waste |
9M+ | plastic bottles removed from waste stream to date |