UMass Lowell weaves sustainability into every aspect of campus life. The university has emerged as a leader in sustainable practices as it works toward its goal of being carbon neutral.

Sheep Do the Job at ‘EweML’

From grazing sheep to battery-powered lawn mowers, Grounds Operations Manager Erik Shaw is coming up with innovative ways to maintain the campus grounds – and help boost the university’s sustainability efforts. Learn why sheep are cutting the grass

Reusable Bags are Green, but are They Clean?

A team of public health students from the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, who are working at the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) on their capstone project, found safer cleaning solutions for reusable bags. 3 DIY cleaning recipes

Farm-to-Cubicle

The university piloted a community-supported agriculture program last summer to lay the foundation for a self-sustaining CSA at the university while also providing research opportunities. Discover how the CSA program delivers produce
Shawn Nagle and Michael Doherty with Denise Trombley at Catie's Closet Image by Ed Brennen

Student Donations Go Back into the Community

Students donated more than 14,000 pounds of clothing, bedding, food and personal items during this spring’s Sustainable Move Out Donation Drive, which benefitted a half-dozen nonprofit organizations across the community. Read full story
Pig farm manure

Researchers Produce Renewable Fuel from Biowaste

A team of researchers from UMass Lowell, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and China Agricultural University in Beijing has developed a new, sustainable way of converting wet biological waste into diesel-compatible fuel, using heat and water. The process, called hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), converts wet, solid biowaste – such as animal manure from farms, food scraps from restaurants and food-processing plants, and algae from wastewater treatment facilities – into liquid fuel that can be blended with regular diesel. Read full story
A student studies outside on South Campus Image by Adrien Bisson

A Cool School

UMass Lowell jumped more than 100 spots — to No. 22 — in Sierra magazine’s 12th annual “Cool Schools” ranking of North America’s greenest colleges and universities. Compiled by the national magazine of the Sierra Club, the Cool Schools Rankings assess colleges' performance in everything from what they teach to how they obtain their electricity to their sources of dining hall food. Read full story

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