Intern Insights is a mini-series that spotlights the interns participating in the Sustainability Internship Program (SIP) and their day-to-day activities and accomplishments. The Office of Sustainability partners with the Student...
Gracie French
Category - Behind The Scenes
When UK expands, what happens to the water?: Why student actions matter more than you think
“As a Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles major, I’m always thinking about sustainability in fashion, ways to reuse and reduce,” said Kya Washington, a senior student at the University of Kentucky. “But sustainability...
Adreonna Rainey
Carlie LaughlinWhen UK expands, what happens to the water?: The environmental impact of rapid construction
Whether you’re heading to class or grabbing coffee between lectures, walking past ongoing construction has become a normal part of daily life at the University of Kentucky. New academic buildings, research facilities...
Inside the Reuse Room initiative at Grey Design Building
It started with a shelf. “We put up a temporary area, just a shelf that said ‘Unused Material’ with my email address,” said Jackie Skeeters, a third-year Interior Design student at the University of Kentucky. “There was...
Become a zero-waste campusBehind The ScenesMake the pursuit of sustainability an integral part of the student experience
Behind the blue bins: UK’s new recycling video reveals the journey of your waste
The University of Kentucky is turning one person’s waste into another’s pizza box, soda can, Adirondak chair or a plethora of other items that can be found around campus. “Recycling is one of the easiest ways everyone...
Jennifer Allen
Meet the 2025-2026 sustainability internship cohort
The sustainability internship program has been around since 2016, giving undergraduates the opportunity to engage with others through campus projects, research, and outreach within sustainability. Each intern works...
UK Recycling sets record with over 15 tons collected during 2025 campus move-out
As University of Kentucky students moved out of campus housing this spring, UK Recycling set a new benchmark for sustainability efforts — collecting a record 31,110 pounds (15.6 tons) of donations and recyclables...
Intern Insights: From roots to reflection
Intern Insights is a mini-series that spotlights the interns participating in the Sustainability Internship Program (SIP) and their day-to-day activities and accomplishments. The Office of Sustainability partners with...
Graciela Martinez
UK’s Utilities and Energy Management team receives grand award for stormwater harvesting system
The University of Kentucky’s Utilities and Energy Management team in Facilities Mangement was honored with a Grand Award at the 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards, presented by the American Council of Engineering...
UK Facilities Management launches new on-campus composting system
The University of Kentucky is turning food waste into a high value soil amendment with its newly launched composting system — an innovative, on-campus facility designed to expand composting operations and support UK’s...
Sip, recycle, repeat: UK Recycling to tackle coffee cup waste on campus
n an effort to boost recycling rates on campus, University of Kentucky Recycling, a department within Facilities Management, is launching a coffee cup recycling awareness campaign in partnership with UK Dining. This...
Bluegrass and Green Future: University of Kentucky Joins the Rachel Carson Council
A cold February rain draped over the University of Kentucky as students bustled between classes. Despite the overcast sky, Lexington’s flagship university radiated warmth—a hub of intellectual curiosity, environmental...
Ella Sides
Freshii introduces compostable containers
The University of Kentucky is taking another step towards sustainability by partnering with Kanbol, a Kentucky Proud company specializing in compostable packaging. This collaboration brings Kanbol’s 32 oz compostable...
Campus Woods gives UK trees new life
The University of Kentucky is home to over twelve thousand trees, representing a variety of the 120 tree species native to our state, such as walnuts, yellow-poplar, bur oaks, hickory, and ash trees. When a tree is...
UK HealthCare recycles thousands of stored x-rays
In July 2024, University of Kentucky implemented a new healthcare enterprise policy allowing protected health information (PHI) to be destroyed following HIPAA-compliant guidelines if the film was created more than 30...
