| | Published July 31st, 2024
| Saint Mary's College's commitment to sustainability earns recognition as "Green College"
| | | By Vera Kochan |  | | SMC Director of Sustainability Ann Drevno encourages students to donate reusable items. Photo Vera Kochan |
Saint Mary's College has consistently climbed the ranks in the Princeton Review Guide's Green College ratings. In 2014, SMC received a bronze rating. By 2016, the rating was silver, followed by a consistent gold since 2020. What this means is that just about everyone on campus can take advantage and participate in the many programs and initiatives offered by its sustainability programs.
The high ratings aren't just handed to a university. According to the school's Director of Sustainability Ann Drevno, "You have to submit your statistics every three years. It includes waste, greenhouse gas emissions, transportation, heating, how much food is produced in the Legacy Garden, composting, and the Free Store."
Dozens of students intern with the program, and when each school year ends, all students leaving the dorms are encouraged to pile all of their re-usable items in designated collection areas throughout campus. Drevno estimates that for the 2023-24 school year, the move-out collected 6.7 tons of donations that were picked up by partners such as Recycle Smart and Mt Diablo Resource Recovery. Items that are not furniture-related, such as clothing, have another chance at a useful life by making it to the Free Store where other students can have their pick. The tiny "store" -- no bigger than a utility closet -- by year's end brims with items that for lack of sufficient space have spilled out into the hallway.
The campus Legacy Garden has been tended by students since 2009. Currently, students who are food insecure get first pick from the garden's fruits and vegetables. Second pick goes to the volunteers. "As of June 12," stated Drevno, "we began operating a farm stand."
SMC Chef Gustavo Vega plans menus with Good Eating Company -- the new food source for the college. "Partnering with Good Eating Company has allowed Saint Mary's to elevate and accelerate our campus sustainability efforts," Drevno explained. "Just two years into this partnership, Saint Mary's has been nationally recognized for its increased sustainably-sourced food, decreased food waste, and donation of more unused food than ever previously."
Good Eating's Director of Sustainability Clare Turner works with Drevno on sustainable food sourcing data, food recovery and donations, reusable to-go containers, and a new program called "Green by Default", which encourages people to choose to eat more sustainably.
SMC is also a Fair Trade College that sources coffee, tea, chocolate, and other products from growers who practice safe working conditions and fair wages.
? "Our number one sustainability priority for the coming years, is our Climate Action Plan," said Drevno. "A big achievement this year, for 2023 - 2024, was to get our Saint Mary's Greenhouse Gas Emissions profile back up-to-date after a pause in greenhouse gas emissions data collection during the pandemic. While our emissions profile shows a positive downward trend, we still have plenty to do to achieve our carbon neutrality goal for Scopes 1 and 2 by 2030, and carbon neutrality for all scopes by 2050. This data will continue to be incorporated into the College Strategic Plan, which has a dedicated section to Climate Action, demonstrating the college's commitment to sustainability."
Another big project that Drevno has spent five years working on is a 1.3 MW Photovoltaic Solar System to be installed over SMC's front parking lot and recreation center. The project is expected to generate over 20% of the campus' electricity with a payback of $20 million over 20 years. Currently in the geotechnical and interconnectivity analysis phases, Drevno hopes to see it installed by the summer of 2025. |
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA