Tagged: Award - Sustainability

The Arbor Day Foundation recognized The Ohio State University as a 2025 Tree Campus for its dedication to enhancing community well-being through tree education, investment and community engagement. 

The Campus Race to Zero Waste is underway, and Ohio State is once again stepping up to compete with colleges and universities across the country. Over the next eight weeks, Buckeyes will work together to increase our landfill diversion rate and prove that sustainability is a team sport.

This competition isn’t just about numbers. It’s about everyday actions adding up to real impact. Whether you’re in an office, classroom, lab, or residence hall, your choices matter, and they can help Ohio State rise to the top.

Simple Ways to Make an Impact

Ohio State has been ranked 28th on the Princeton Review’s list of Top 50

For the third consecutive year, Ohio State Athletics has been recognized as a national leader in sustainable athletics, receiving the 2025 Play to Zero Waste Champion Award from the Green Sports Alliance.

The results are in, and The Ohio State University is leading the Big Ten in recycling - and leaving that team up north in the dust.

Ohio State placed first in the Big Ten and among all Ohio colleges in the Per Capita Recycling category of the 2025 Campus Race to Zero Waste competition, with an impressive 16.9 pounds of recycling per person. This category measures how much material is diverted from landfills per person - a true team effort from the Buckeye community.

The Ohio State University has been awarded the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) most prestigious recognition, the Encouraging Environmental Excellence (E3) Platinum Achievement Award for 2024. 

“This honor reflects Ohio State’s commitment to resource stewardship and efficiency,” said Mary Leciejewski, associate director of environmental sustainability for Facilities Operations and Development (FOD). “It reaffirms our position as a leader in higher education and healthcare sustainability practices.”

Facilities Operations and Development (FOD) recently received the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) Buckeye Chapter Michael D. Long Solid Waste Operator of the Year for 2023. This distinguished recognition celebrates FOD’s dedication to sustainability and their pioneering efforts in advancing recycling and composting initiatives on Ohio State’s campus. Since 2015, the university has made remarkable strides, elevating its landfill diversion rate to more than 40%.

Ohio State Energy Partners (OSEP) has announced the recipients of its 2023-24 philanthropic awards. The awards provide funding for proposals that align with Ohio State’s sustainability goals and support the continuation of successful initiatives or the development/implementation of new programs or research projects that continue the trajectory of meeting the goals. Facilities Operations Development (FOD) Zero Waste Manager, Mary Leciejewski, earned an OSEP award of $50,000 for Administration and Planning’s Food Scrap Compost Expansion.

As highlighted by The Office of Academic Affairs, Ohio State Energy Partners (OSEP) has announced the recipients of its 2023-24 philanthropic awards. The awards provide funding for proposals that align with Ohio States sustainability goals and support the continuation of successful initiatives or the development/implementation of new programs or research projects that continue the trajectory of meeting the goals. Facilities Operations Development (FOD) Zero Waste Manager, Mary Leciejewski, earned an OSEP award for Administration and Planning's Food Scrap Compost Expansion. 

The Ohio State University Columbus campus joined more than 3.4 million college students and staff across the country in the 2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste competition. During the competition, Buckeyes saved more than 1.9 million pounds of materials from being buried in a landfill. These materials will now get a second chance by being transformed into new products through recycling and composting.