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Students: Sign up for the LiveGreen weekly email to learn about sustainability events, internships and job opportunities.

Faculty & Staff: Sign up for the ThinkGreen weekly email to engage in sustainability discussions and learn about ways to get involved.

Alumni & Community Members: Sign up for the BeGreen weekly email to learn about sustainability events open to the public and job opportunities.

Your support is crucial in funding actions to build a culture of sustainability and incorporate the UN Sustainable Development Goals into our institution. Donations are truly transformational as they go directly to support student programming.

Donate to UAlbany's Sustainability Fund.

Join the UAlbany Fill It Forward program, which allows you to track the environmental impact of using refillable bottles. Simply request a tag, download the Fill It Forward app, and register your tag.

Every time you fill up and scan the tag, your impact will be calculated. Each scan also triggers a donation to a global water project.

The UAlbany Free Market is open twice per week in the Campus Center. You can shop for clothes, household items, and decor for free! Donations are welcome. 

The Fall 2026 Free Market hours will be posted before classes begin. 

Learn more about each student organization on My Involvement:

• UAlbany Students for Sustainability
• Grow Green (link to GroupMe)
• United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) UAlbany Campus Chapter
• UAlbany Indigenous Student Association
• UAlbany Public Health Club
• UAlbany Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA)
• Albany Outreach for Animals
• Students Stopping Trafficking of People (SSTOP)
• Democracy Matters at UAlbany
• UAlbany Outdoors
• UAlbany Ski and Snowboarding Club
• UAlbany Running Exchange

The Office of Sustainability has two affinity groups that students can join. Please email [email protected] to learn more and/or to join.

• Eco-Reps: Play an active role in making change on campus by becoming a sustainability peer educator. Eco-Reps receive specialized training on sustainable practices to create educational material, conduct presentations to student groups and manage our programs throughout the academic year. Check back at the beginning of the fall semester for information on the Eco-Rep application.

• Clean Energy Conservation Corps: Students are provided training on energy conservation and weatherization skills. Weatherizing is preparing a home for winter in order to make it more comfortable for residents and assist in saving energy costs.  It involves installing weather stripping, spray foam, caulking, window covers and door sweeps.  Volunteers are trained in these techniques and then participate in service days each November to weatherize area homes. The call for members is now closed.  Check back in September when we will be accepting the next round of applications. Email [email protected] with any questions.

   

If you live on Liberty Terrace, Freedom Apartments, or Empire Commons, you can participate in our composting program! Make a positive environmental impact by collecting your food scraps for composting. Just follow these easy steps to start composting!  

1. Pick up your compost bags from your apartment lobby or community building 
2. Collect food scraps in your compost bag 
3. When your bag is full, fold down the top and place it in the green compost bin near the trash and recycling dumpsters

*Note: At Empire Commons, the composting program will open on September 8, with one compost bin at the dumpsters near D cluster. Composting at Liberty Terrace and Freedom Apartments will open at the start of the fall semester with compost bins at both dumpster areas. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How do I receive my compost bags?
  • At Liberty Terrace, you can pick up bags from the lobby. At Freedom Apartments, you can pick up the bags near the laundry rooms at the Community Buildings. On Empire Commons, you can pick up bags from the Community Building. We recommend taking a few bags at a time. You can always stop back to pick up more! 
• Where do I collect my materials?
  • Collect all food scraps in your apartment kitchen and place these items in your compost bag. The bag stands upright and can be stored on your counter, in a cupboard, or in your fridge/freezer. Once full, fold down the top of the bag and drop it in the green compost bin near the trash and recycling dumpsters. Be sure to close the bin after you drop off your bag!
• Can I add napkins, paper towels, paper plates, or compostable products in my compost bag?
  • No. Please do not add any napkins, paper towels, paper plates, or compostable products (i.e. silverware, plates, cups) in the compost bag or bin. Some of these products have chemicals and additives that are not compostable. For the Apartment Compost program, we are only accepting food scraps in the acceptable item list.
• What if I forget what can be composted?
  • You will also receive a "What to Compost" magnet. Place the magnet on your fridge to reference what can and cannot be composted. 
• Does UAlbany have other composting programs?
  • Yes! All food scraps are composted in the Indigenous and State Quad Dining Halls. The Campus Center also has back-end composting. Offices have the option to participate in the Office Composting Program. 
• What are the benefits of composting?
  • When food goes into the landfill, it releases methane - an incredibly potent greenhouse gas. Composting, however, creates a nutrient-rich soil that promotes healthier plant growth and improves water retention. 
  • Composting is one of the most impactful individual actions to help combat climate change!  

The Green Workspace Challenge is a self-reporting framework for faculty and staff to make their workplaces more sustainable while gaining recognition for their progress. The challenge is designed to engage the full spectrum of offices on campus. Complete the Green Workspace Challenge Interest Form to get started.

The Office of Sustainability has established an office composting program, allowing faculty and staff to voluntarily take part in composting food waste at work. The compost program runs when classes are in session.

Composting is a natural, inexpensive way to decrease the amount of waste UAlbany sends to the landfill. Although food scraps will break down in an airtight landfill, the anaerobic process creates a methane byproduct, a potent greenhouse gas. By composting food scraps, your office can serve as a model for students and fellow staff members for environmentally responsible practices.

The Office of Sustainability offers kitchen-sized compost pails for offices upon request. Please email [email protected] to learn more and/or to request a pail.

Sustainability Coordinators work with the Office of Sustainability on campus initiatives. Coordinators meet monthly during the academic year to discuss University-wide sustainability programs and give feedback to the director.

Please email [email protected] to learn more about and/or to become a Sustainability Coordinator.

Current Sustainability Coordinators

• Darcy Abbatiello, Collections Manager, University Art Museum
• David Addante, Occupational Safety Specialist, Office of Environmental Health and Safety
• Zakhar Berkovich, Director of Undergraduate Student Services, Rockefeller College
• Michelle Bowen, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, UAS
• Cappagnia-Lynne Chase, Program Coordinator, First Year Experience
• Bridget Collins, Director, Office of General Studies and Summer Session
• Amanda Crowell-Broadleaf, Academic Advisor, Academic Support Center
• Kathryn Fore, Coordinator of Experiential Education - Research and Creative Endeavors, Minerva Center
• Mara Grady, Compliance Coordinator, Purchasing Office 
• Lynne Greabell, Professional Development Coordinator, College of Integrated Health Sciences
• Kristen Hamel, Budget Analyst, Office of Financial Management & Budget
• Maggie Hartley, Senior Managing Editor, Office of Marketing & Communications
• Irina Holden, Information Literacy and Science Outreach Librarian, University Libraries
• Karla Jaime-Benitez, Director of Organizational Development, Enrollment Management
• Indu Lnu, Interim Director of Facilities Project Management and Energy, Facilities Management
• Lisanny Manzueta Custodio, Assistant Director of Graduate Student Services
• Chris Neal, Assistant Director of Facilities Operation, Recreation & Wellness
• Kristin O'Brien, Marketing & Digital Media Manager, University Auxiliary Services
• Olivia Pounds, Staff Assistant, Dean's Office School of Education Dean's Office
• Marie Rabideau, Assistant Dean, College of Arts & Sciences Dean's Office
• Gary Ribis, Director, Office of Environmental Health & Safety
• Caroline Shaver, Sustainability Manager, Great Dane Hospitality
• Dan Townsend, Assistant Director Facilities and Operations, Residential Life
• Kaci Wilson, Health Sciences and Systematic Review Librarian, University Libraries
• Rebecca Wolfe, Administrative Manager, Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering

Sustainability Ambassadors serve as the social diffusion network for campus. Ambassadors disseminate information about sustainable practices and encourage others to participate in sustainability events.

Please email [email protected] to learn more about and/or to become a Sustainability Ambassador.

Current Sustainability Ambassadors

• Cassie Andrusz-Ho Ching, Academic Advisor, Academic Support Center
• Sarah Burke, Associate Director of Operations, Recreation & Wellness
• Yunlong Feng, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
• Emily Feuer, Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice President of Finance and Administration
• Ron Friedman, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
• Chris Gebhardt, Pre-Law Advising Coordinator, Academic Advising
• Brian Greenhill, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
• Kristen Hessler, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy
• Jenny Horn, Assistant Director, Community and Public Service Program
• Rixiang Huang, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering
• Mary Hunt, Director of Public Engagement, Office of Public Engagement
• Don Keenan, Copy Cataloger/Mono and Video, University Libraries
• Aleksandra Kovacheva, Assistant Professor, Massry School of Business
• Peter Kwon, Assistant Professor, Department of East Asian Studies
• Susan Lasch, Office Assistant, Parking & Mass Transit Service
• Brett Levy, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Theory and Practice
• Michael Lister, Lecturer, Department of Music and Theatre
• Elisa López, University Research Awards & Information Coordinator, Division for Research & Economic Development
• Alyssa Lotmore, Assistant to the Dean, School of Social Welfare
• Linda Mertz, Senior Staff Assistant, School of Social Welfare
• Rachel Moody, Director of International Academic Partnerships, Center for International Education & Global Strategy
• Jessica Moran, Senior Staff Assistant, College of Arts & Sciences Technical Services
• Sujata Murty, Assistant Professor, Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences
• Deana Myers, Senior Solutions Specialist, Information Technology Services
• Cynthia Najdowski, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
• Kristie Saddler, Associate Professor, School of Education
• Barbara Sutton, Associate Professor, Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies
• Holly Van Allen, Project Manager, Information Technology Services
• Bill Wales, Professor, Massry School of Business
• Hillary Wiener, Assistant Professor, Massry School of Business