Sustainability

Mission Integration

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As a mercy, Catholic institution of higher education, Salve Regina University is committed to advancing environmental stewardship and sustainability on campus and in the community by integrating the social, economic and ecological values of sustainable development into institutional policies and practices.

Climate change and environmental degradation are pressing issues that compromise the future of our common home, threaten human dignity and all life, and compound the hardships of the poorest and most vulnerable members of our community. The advancement of an integral ecology at Salve celebrates our mission to serve as stewards of God’s creation, working as transformative agents to bring about a more harmonious, just and merciful world.

Our institutional commitment to sustainability is underwritten by the Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy as we seek to meet the present needs of our campus community without compromising the ability of Salve and our local and global neighbors to meet future needs.

AASHE Bronze Rating

Salve received a bronze rating by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) offered through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). With over 350 colleges and universities participating across 15 countries, the STARS program is the most widely recognized benchmarking framework for sustainability performance indicators across higher education, providing a framework for understanding sustainability.

AASHE STARS logo

Our Goals

Goal 1: Environmental stewardship

Practice environmental stewardship by promoting responsible water consumption, waste reduction, sustainable and socially just food production, material reuse and recycling, renewable energy investments, ecological land use, green building practices, sustainable campus transportation options and campus conservation efficiencies.

Goal 2: Sustainability across the curriculum

Create an environmentally literate community by advancing interdisciplinary teaching and research to address pressing local and global environmental, economic and social challenges.

Goal 3: Integral ecology and environmental justice

Create an environmentally responsible community by fostering a visible, educated and active commitment to integral ecology and environmental justice among our students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Sustainable Curriculum

Salve offers an interdisciplinary major and minor in environmental studies, which exposes students to the broad range of issues that arise from the interaction of humans with the natural world, and to the tools required to understand and solve environmental problems. Students in the program complete coursework in math and science, policy, ethics and society, and preservation, complemented by student-directed research and a thesis in the senior year.

Environmental Studies Program
Students collect water samples along the coastline.

Best Practices for a Sustainable Salve

Sustainable Salve advocates for sustainable practices on campus and in the local community, provides environmental sustainability education and collaborates across campus to create and support initiatives that reduce the University's environmental impact. Sustainable Salve encourages the University community to be mindful of the Mercy Critical Concern of Earth by incorporating best practices into their daily routines.

  • Reach out to Purchasing and Facilities before purchasing office furniture and shelving units. Facilities will check the University's furniture inventory.
  • If a lightbulb needs replacing, reach out to Facilities for an LED replacement.
  • If you order through Salve's WB Mason or Amazon Business accounts, ensure that all items that have been identified as "Organization Restricted," which includes items such as furniture and balloons.
  • Shut off computers and monitors at night and use standby modes during the day.
  • If your room or office does not have motion sensor lighting, remember to turn off lights when not in use.
  • Keep windows and doors closed tightly to conserve energy and maintain indoor cooling and heating.
  • Utilize digital means over printed handouts, programs and posters for meetings and events such as QR codes, digital signage and screen sharing. If printing is necessary, print on both sides of the page and reuse paper with one-sided print.
  • Drink from reusable cups, mugs and water bottles and pack lunches in reusable containers.
  • Utilize the water refill stations located throughout campus instead of buying bottled water.
  • Report leaky faucets and toilets to Facilities.
  • Utilize recycling and composting bins.
  • When organizing meetings and events, be mindful of food waste and over-ordering. If you have ordered catering and you have leftover, untouched food, please contact the Center for Community Engagement and Service to distribute leftovers to community partners that have the greatest need.
  • Be considerate of our wildlife and do not use balloons outside.
  • Carpool, use the Salve Regina shuttle system or utilize Salve Regina’s bike program in lieu of driving on or off campus.
  • Consider participating in the annual thrift shop pop-up on campus in April to donate or purchase gently used items.

Student Organizations

Inspired by Salve's mercy mission to be stewards of God's creation, our students work together to make a difference for future generations.

Environmental Club

The Environmental Club spreads awareness of environmental issues to help us all be better stewards of the earth. Through meetings and discussions, members strive to be better stewards of the earth. The club also takes part in activities such as nature walks, beach cleanups and activities for Earth Week.

Hydroponics Club

The Hydroponics Club is more than just a few scientists in a laboratory: it is a group interested in innovative ways to create sustainable growing methods, and it is open to all students in the Salve Regina community. They study hydroponics as a sustainable method of growing, they use hydroponically grown plants for research, and they grow edible plants to sell at farmer’s markets. They also conduct outreach programs and provide tours for interested students. The hydroponics lab began as a research center, but today it is much more than that.

Protect Our Wildlife

An organization with the best interests of animals at heart, Protect Our Wildlife strives to raise awareness about the conditions of habitats, natural and man-made, and about the way people treat creatures around the world. They encourage individuals to form a united front against animal cruelty and injustice, promoting action above all else, even if it be simply telling a friend about a particular event. They hope that one day, the natural order of life will be restored and humans and animals will live together in a world full of understanding and respect, a world without exploitation and mistreatment.

Salve TreeHawks

With a mission to advance the arboretum’s accreditation to Level III, the Salve Tree Hawks are a dedicated group of students who believe in the importance of environmental stewardship. Whether cataloging trees and shrubs or participating in community outreach initiatives and Earth Week activities, the Tree Hawks are engaged in protecting and promoting our amazing campus resources.

Initiatives

Battery collection bins are located across from Mail Services in the McKillop Library garden level. Donors are asked to pay special attention to the recycling details posted above the bin. Of special note:

  • Please do not put corroded or leaking batteries in the recycling bin.
  • Be sure to tape all batteries as they otherwise create a fire hazard.

The Green Room program encourages students to reduce their carbon footprint by pledging to recycle aluminum, paper, glass and cardboard, conserve water by taking shorter showers and conserve electricity by unplugging items when not in use.

Sodexo Dining Services has partnered with the Compost Plant, which picks up the University's food scraps and compostable items to turn them into compost. They have also partnered with Red's Best to serve fresh, sustainable fish caught daily in New England waters.

Sodexo Dining Services donates surplus food to local community members per legal waiver and agreement. Such food is designated, but not limited to, disadvantaged persons, the elderly and the homeless.

Bleach-free, fully compostable brown napkins eliminate the bleaching process and the use of chlorine, while napkin holders reduce napkin usage by 20 percent. Condiments and coffee creamers are served in bulk containers, and the implementation of tray-less dining in the Miley dining hall reduced water, energy and food waste.

Seasonal produce is purchased from Rhode Island farms, and the Miley dining hall also has its own garden, which produces vegetables and herbs. Used cooking oil is donated to Newport Biodiesel for conversion into fuel.

Fair trade coffee is served throughout campus, while catered events use environmentally friendly Earth Plus products and 100 percent compostable Greenware disposable cups. Holiday dinners served in the Miley dining hall contain many menu items from local and sustainable sources.

Water filtration dispensers are located throughout campus, effectively reducing the waste of hundreds of thousands of plastic bottles.

Showerheads and toilets have been converted to low-flow units and energy efficient washers and dryers have been installed. Reynolds Field uses a well to pump groundwater for irrigation, eliminating $10,000 per year of potable water use. An additional irrigation system using recycled groundwater is in place at the Rodgers Recreation Center.

Housekeepers utilize a microfiber mopping system that uses less water and reduces the number of laundry loads necessary to clean products. Concentrated cleaning products have been replaced with Green Seal certified cleaning products and the Phazer applicator system, which reduces product waste.