Opinion: Is UVM As "Green" As They Claim?

UVM is ranked 13th in the Top Green Colleges by the Princeton Review for having "superb sustainability practices, a strong foundation in sustainability education, and a healthy quality of life for students on campus." It makes sense that UVM should pride itself on being a sustainable campus. UVM certainly makes more effort to be sustainable than most universities, but they often fall short of truly being a green campus. 

It’s disheartening to see very few trash cans on campus or to be forced to use paper and plastic dining ware in the dining halls. These are just some of the times that I feel like I can’t make the sustainable choice when on campus. As a first-year student living on campus, I don’t have a lot of control over what I eat or what I eat with. It’s difficult to do the right thing – to make a substantial change when I belong to a larger institution,

I know many of my peers share the same sentiments. It seems silly, or like a cruel joke to see posters around the dining hall advertising UVM’s sustainable practices in the dining halls when the compost bin is closed off, or the only cups available to use are plastic. It's times like this when it feels like UVM is greenwashing, and it’s frustrating because I want to do the right thing, but I have no choice. 

Additionally, there are consequences when UVM fails to take action to make a campus a greener, healthier place for students. The lack of trash cans, for example, has certainly played a role in the litter around campus. Because of the low availability of trash cans on campus, students have to carry their trash around with them to properly dispose of this. This has caused many students to litter or improperly dispose of their waste. 

In theory, the general student body at UVM tends to be made up of people who are concerned with the environment. The state of Vermont is a leader in sustainability. Many people on campus care about the environment and make sustainable decisions. UVM however has made it difficult for them to do so, and worse it has left students with no option to practice sustainable behaviors. 

There are many cases of  UVM having exemplary sustainability practices. This can be seen in the several LEED-certified buildings or the many forms of low-carbon transportation efforts. Additionally, it’s worth noting that UVM has pledged a goal of Carbon neutrality by 2030. This goal had been previously set for 2020, but UVM failed to meet this goal. The failure of meeting the 2020 goal led UVM to launch a Comprehensive Sustainability Plan in 2021. This plan involves a procedure for more sustainable practices on campus. 

Given the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan and the many student organizations dedicated to fostering sustainability, an environmentally friendly future looks promising for UVM. I hope that UVM will continue to practice the goals listed in the plan. UVM is moving in the right direction to becoming a more environmentally friendly university, should they be active in taking measures to better the environment. I have faith in the many students on campus who are active in fighting for sustainability on campus. Because of this, I hope to see a healthier, greener campus in the future.