Muhlenberg Receives STARS Gold Rating for Sustainability Achievements
It’s the first time the College has achieved Gold since the rating system became more stringent in 2019.Friday, April 26, 2024 08:55 AM
Fahy Commons has been recognized multiple times for its sustainable design. Photo by Joe Romano ’23Muhlenberg College has earned a STARS Gold rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.
"The AASHE STARS award is a total campus certification and requires an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together individuals from almost every department and office on campus,” says Sustainability Specialist Natalie Sobrinski. “We are incredibly grateful for the hard work and commitment of our staff, students and faculty who have contributed their expertise and passion to this effort. This achievement demonstrates Muhlenberg's shared commitment to sustainability and sets a high standard for our future initiatives."
Muhlenberg has earned a STARS Gold Rating previously, for a submission in 2018 that was valid through 2021. In 2019, AASHE made its standards more stringent; this is the first time the College has earned Gold under these standards.
Some sustainability initiatives that factored into the STARS Gold rating include:
- reduced water usage by 46 percent since 2012 via the installation of low-flow faucets and showerheads, artificial turf on Varsity Field and a rainwater harvesting system in Fahy Commons
- dining efforts including plant-based meals, reusable to-go containers and discounts for reusable mugs
- student engagement efforts including enACT student programming, Green Move-Out and Move-In (in which students, staff and faculty work to ensure recyclables are recycled and waste is minimized) and the introduction of a sustainability careers series
With more than 900 participants in 40 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: 1) academics 2) engagement, 3) operations, 4) planning and administration, and 5) innovation and leadership.
Muhlenberg’s STARS report is publicly available here.
