UTK Office of Sustainability

We’re continuing our Green Graduation Feature series with Marius Charles!🌱🎓 Marius graduated this spring as a Green Graduation recipient and will be starting his career as an Entry-Level Deputy Project Manager at AECOM.🧡 Congratulations, Marius!

Today is World Nature Conservation Day!🌿 Today is an opportunity to celebrate the natural world and reflect on the role we all play in protecting it. Every positive step, no matter how small, contributes to a healthier planet. 🌎

All across the United States, and especially within the Appalachian, Ohio River Valley, and Gulf Coast regions, frontline communities are facing the build-out of the Petrochemical Industry, an industry that turns fossil fuels into plastic.

This school year (September 2026 thru April 2027), the STOP fellowship has 5 goals:
1. Support young people at critical petrochemical “site fight” locations (examples linked here) in organizing for a better future and finding their place in it.
2. Connect and align students with campus resources to the movement against petrochemicals and plastic.
3. Resource students to organize both on-campus & off-campus to disrupt the petrochemical & plastic industry.
4. Build long-lasting, mutually-beneficial relationships between student-led groups in campuses and grassroots organizations.
5. Uplift young people and their voices into the fight against petrochemicals and climate change.

You can apply to the fellowship at the link in our bio!♻️🌎

Join us in thanking our amazing AmeriCorps members whose terms with us recently ended!🌎♻️ Cash Winn, Joy Etheridge, Masha Bokar, Ryan Clark, and Samira Nilavalaghi have made incredible contributions to our sustainability efforts during their time at UT. Thank you all for your dedication and hard work!🍊

Sofie graduated this spring as a Green Graduation recipient and is continuing her education at UC Berkley!🧡 Congratulations, Sofie!🌱🎓

The CSSN Annual Conference is coming up!🍊🏈 Register to reserve your spot by Monday, July 13 at the link in our bio. We hope to see you there!🥳♻️

The Office of Sustainability recently visited Three Rivers Market to learn more about their sustainability efforts and community impact! We enjoyed hearing about their composting partnership with the City of Knoxville, efforts to reduce food waste through local food pantry donations, commitment to sourcing local products, and support for businesses with community-focused missions.🌎♻️

Thank you to the Three Rivers Market team for welcoming us and sharing more about the work you do to support a more sustainable Knoxville community.🌱🍊

We’re continuing our Green Graduation Feature series with Vanesa Torres!🌱🎓 Vanesa graduated this spring as a Green Graduation recipient and will be continuing her education at UGA.🧡 Congratulations, Vanesa!

Tomorrow kicks off Plastic Free July!🌎🌱 This global movement encourages people to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics and explore reusable alternatives.♻️ Challenge yourself to try some plastic-free habits this month, and maybe keep it going long after July ends! Visit the Plastic Free July website at the link in bio to learn more and get involved. 🧡

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the largest in tournament history, and FIFA has released a sustainability strategy aimed at addressing the environmental impacts of hosting a global event of this scale.⚽🌎 Swipe to learn about the tournament’s environmental goals!♻️