Sustainability
Who We Are
To live and work sustainably means to perpetuate the health and welfare of people, economies, and the environment. Sustainability is about ensuring that all people - today and into the future - can live in healthy communities and participate in productive local economies without sacrificing environmental integrity. It’s a simple yet powerful concept that ties together human happiness and well-being with the quality and health of environmental systems. Thus, sustainability issues incorporate such wide-ranging topics as biodiversity loss, climate change, social justice, and more.
West Chester University seeks to be a leader in local, regional, and global sustainability efforts. This website documents the university’s efforts in sustainability and provides numerous resources for individuals, organizations, and communities.
Join us as we carry out the single most critical task of the 21st century!
Electronics Recycling
at WCU
Recycle your personal electronics at Sykes Student Union and Francis Harvey Green Library! Our partner PAR-Recycle Works is a nonprofit electronics recycler that provides transitional employment to people returning from prison. Please reference our flyer with information on acceptable items before dropping them off. Learn more about recycling on our initiatives page.
News and Upcoming Events
Information Session on Jobs in Sustainability
3pm-5pm in Sykes Ballrooms, meet one-on-one with sustainability professionals and learn more about their experience working in sustainability!
Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar
The Office of Sustainability, along with our partners the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and the Sustainability Council's Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee are proud to announce the Spring 2024 Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar lineup!
Please join us every Wednesday at noon between January 31 and May 1, 2024. Join us in person in Sykes Student Union 255 A/B or via Zoom. Many of these presentations will be recorded and archived on our Digital Commons website as have dozens of previous presentations over the past four years. Interested in speaking in a future seminar series -- whether you're a staff member, student, or faculty member -- please reach out to us at sustainability@wcupa.edu so we can add you to the program.
On April 10th, the SRPS will take place in Sykes Ballrooms in conjunction with the Zero Waste Summit. On April 17th, the SRPS will take place in SECC Room 107.
*There will be no Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar on March 13th due to Spring Break.*
Student Sustainability Bingo Night
Students, come out for a fun night of Bingo with the Sustainability Peer Educators!
There will be pizza and insomnia cookies, as well as sustainable prizes to win.
Social Innovation Competition
Join the Cottrell Entrepreneurship Center and the Office of Sustainability for the 2024 Social Innovation Competition on April 3rd from 4:30pm-7pm on 101 BPMC! Watch presentations from finalists and learn more about businesses with a social impact with Tess Hart, founder of Triple Bottom Brewing.
Zero Waste Summit: What You Can Do!
Join us for the Zero Waste Summit to learn more about practical ways to live a Zero Waste Lifestyle. There will be food, DIYs, voting resources, a thrift pop-up, and more! At 12pm, speakers from the Post-Landfill Action Network will give a keynote talk in conjunction with the Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar.
Join us in the Sykes Ballrooms on April 10th from 11am-2pm.
