Each year, a series of events brings sustainability to life on campus.
August
Move In - Oxy Ecossentials Store Sale*
During move-in week on campus, a huge sale takes place featuring items left behind by students during Move Out the previous May. The sale is open to everyone on campus. The Oxy Ecossentials club collects, organizes, and prices the reusable items between one cent and $15. Email ecossentials@oxy.edu to get involved in the club!
October
Food Justice Month
October is Food Justice Month! A variety of clubs, departments and organizations collaborate to bring awareness to where and how our food is sourced—emphasizing the intersection of food laborers' rights and environmental sustainability.
December
Winter Break Shutdown
Over several weeks in late December/early January, buildings and energy systems are strategically powered down. The entire campus community is encouraged to unplug their appliances in their rooms and offices. These operational changes and collective individual efforts have resulted in significant energy savings—the winter of 2017 boasted a 55% reduction in electricity use.
April
The entire month of April is filled with Earth-related activities and events including movies, guest speakers, mini tours, and the Earth Month Quad Fair -- all in celebration of Earth Day on April 22.
Photo Contest
In years' past, an annual Earth Month photo contest was hosted in April. Submissions capturing the natural world through an Oxy lens are welcome from students, staff and faculty. Winning entries hang proudly in the AGC hallway, near the Career Center entrance. Contest rules as well as the contest’s digital gallery can be found on the photo contest webpage.
May
When the academic year ends, students moving out can’t always take everything back home. These items, including school supplies, books/textbooks, miscellaneous dorm goods, clothing, towels, and blankets are donated to the program and diverted from the landfill through the efforts of the Office of Sustainability, REHS, Facilities Mangagement, and Oxy Ecossentials. Please visit our Green Move Out page for more information on collection dates, accepted items, and what to do with unaccepted items.
The largest collection drive of the year, there are drop-off areas in the common room of each residential hall. In 2019, more than 2,000 usable items, roughly 4594 lbs of clothing and 14 boxes of shoes were collected and diverted from the landfill.
Commencement Sustainability
In alignment with the college’s commitment to waste reduction and environmental sustainability, the college will provide filtered, chilled water refill stations instead of single-use plastic water bottles beginning at the 2024 commencement ceremony! Please bring your own reusable water bottle. Two refill stations will be located next to Keck Theater and two stations will be located on the Academic Quad for the post-ceremony celebration." For more information on Commencement, visit the Commencement page.
Additionally, the college has scaled back the number of paper programs available at the Commencement ceremony and offers a cap and gown rental through the Oxy Bookstore to encourage reuse and reduce waste.