Sustainability

Patriot Packout 2024: Donate, Don’t Dump!

Patriot Packout returns from April 15 – May 10 to support a sustainable move-out!   Patriot Packout (PPO), George Mason University’s annual end-of-the-year donation initiative, is […]

Food Security Efforts on the Rise

  Story by Doni Nolan The Food Justice Working Group has decided to meet twice annually, having a virtual meeting each spring and an in-person […]

Mason Facilities Adds 23 Bigbelly Zero Waste Stations

  Shoutout to the teams and people who participated during the installation process:  Daniel Hughes (Recycling Worker, Recycling and Waste Team), Shawn Andrews (Recycling Worker, […]

Mason Facilities Launching Glass Recycling Pilot

George Mason University is launching a new Glass Recycling Pilot program in January 2024.  Recycle your glass bottles and jars at two drop-off trailer locations […]

2023 Patriot Packout (PPO) – a Success!

Patriot Packout (PPO) 2023, George Mason University's annual end-of-the-year donation initiative, collected and redistributed 5,700 pounds of donations valued at up to $29,614. 4,113 pounds […]

Greenhouse & Gardens Partners with Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)

The Greenhouse and Gardens Program – part of the University Sustainability unit in Mason Facilities – finished hosting 7 high school and undergraduate students for […]

Facilities Fall Prep 2023

During the summer months, in preparation for the start of the fall semester, Mason Facilities runs through an extensive checklist to get all campuses ready.  […]

Elevating Mason’s Green Studio with the PGF

Jennifer Ashworth, manager of the Green Studio, received Patriot Green Fund support to revamp the garden in preparation for the new academic year.     […]

Revamping Recycling at the Center for the Arts

  The Center for the Arts at Mason (CFA) on the Fairfax campus is proud to announce the successful revamp of its zero waste infrastructure, […]

August 2023 Facilities Employee of the Month – Colleen Regan

  Celebrating Colleen Regan as the August 2023 Employee of the Month Colleen did an outstanding job organizing and executing the Patriot Pack-Out (PPO) event […]

OLLI & Greenhouse and Gardens Program Summer Partnership

    In Summer 2023, The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) partnered with University Sustainability to participate in the Greenhouse and Gardens program via a […]

2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste Competition  

George Mason University Sustainability Competes in National Wildlife Federation’s 2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste Competition via Green Game 2023. George Mason University Sustainability joined […]

Earth Month 2023 Recap

In April 2023, Mason Facilities, University Sustainability, and their university partners celebrated Earth Month! Here are a few highlights from the events that took place […]

Facilities Spring Campus Cleanup 2023

On Thursday, May 4, 2023, our Facilities Management (FM) team members hosted its annual Campus Cleanup at the Fairfax, Mason Square and SciTech campuses. Mason’s […]

Susie Mueller is Mason’s 2023 Sustainability Hero!

 Congratulations to Susie Mueller, Mason's 2023 Sustainability Hero!My Mason working career started as a work study student for the School of Art (2008); while I […]

Arboretum Tree Planting

  In celebration of Earth Week, Mason’s Arboretum Board hosted a community tree planting event at Peterson Hall on Thursday, April 20, 2023. Student volunteers […]

The Shape of Water: A Collaborative Sustainable Art Installation

Multiple waste audits and a campus clean-up conducted at George Mason University by Mason Facilities, Student Government, and University Sustainability contributed an estimated 1,555 single-use […]

Mason’s Iconic Cherry Blossoms and Arboretum

The George Mason University Arboretum was established in 2015, earned ArbNet Level II accreditation in 2021, and is distributed across 900+ acres of the university’s […]

Earth Month 2023: Volunteering Opportunities

Calling the Mason Community – April is Earth Month!  University Sustainability hosts events, activities, and initiatives all month long.  These activities are not just available […]

Enhancing Food Security through Aquaponics

On Thursday, April 6, 2023 Mason celebrates Mason Vision Day – an opportunity for the Mason community to come together each year to identify and […]

Green Game Waste Diversion Audit 2023

  The 2023 Green Game was held on January 25, 2023, during the George Mason Patriots Women’s Basketball team vs. University of Rhode Island game. […]

New Art Supply Sharing Initiative

Photo Credit: Yassmin Salem Story by: Sarah D’Alexander   Yassmin Salem, Murals at Mason Program Manager with Mason Exhibitions, helps divert waste while supporting students […]

New LED Lighting at the Rappahannock River Parking Deck

Mason Facilities transitioned to LED lighting at the Fairfax Campus’s Rappahannock River parking deck – replacing over six hundred fluorescent light fixtures. Mason’s new LED […]

Amber Saxton Co-Hosts Session at the National Wildlife Federation (NWF)

During the fall semester, Amber Saxton a Program Manager in Facilities’ University Sustainability office co-hosted a session with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) at the 2022 Global Conference on […]

Recycling Through the Years

  Mason Facilities' waste management and recycling operational processes have undergone significant changes over the last two decades. During this time, Mason Facilities identified several […]

“Earthsgiving” Event

  On Thursday, November 17, 2022, Mason’s Greenhouse and Garden’s program hosted its first “Earthsgiving” sustainable, cooking event. Students, volunteers, staff and community members learned […]

Mason featured in The Princeton Review’s 2023 ‘Guide to Green Colleges’     

  On October 25, 2022, The Princeton Review released its 13th annual  Guide to Green Colleges – a resource, published for college applicants, to showcase colleges and […]

Campus Sustainability Tour

    On Tuesday, October 25, 2022, University Sustainability hosted its first Campus Sustainability Tour, showcasing Patriot Green Fund (PGF) projects that have reduced Mason’s […]

Launching New Composting Pilot

  Zero Waste & Plastics Free Mason: Next Up, Industrial Composting Pilot  Mason Facilities is excited to announce the launch of a new zero waste […]

100 Trees Added to Mason

 On Saturday, October 1, 2022 Mason Exhibitions, with the support of Mason Facilities, the Patriot Green Fund (PGF), the Office of Sustainability, and community volunteers, planted 100 […]

Organic Land Care Beta Testing

  Mason Facilities is excited to announce the launch of a new pilot program centering around organic land care in a 7-acre area surrounding Merten […]

Sustainable Print Studio

Cartoon Art Credit: Sylvia Rossi Check out the Instagram video!   The School of Art’s Print and Book Arts studio is repositioning its practices and […]

Arboretum Tree Planting

 In Spring 2022, a small team of students used the Patriot Green Fund to enhance the diversity of The Honeybee Pollinator Garden. This garden sits […]