The University of Michigan has refreshed two sustainability goals that will guide future efforts to reduce waste and support healthy, resilient campus landscapes. The goals replace targets adopted in 2011 and reflect more than a decade of lessons learned, evolving operational needs, and growing interest among students, faculty and staff in advancing sustainability across campus.
The revised goals introduce a set of indicators that more clearly reflect how today’s campus systems work. They address limitations in the previous framework, which are no longer aligned with available data, current practices or evolving best standards.
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They also advance U-M’s broader institutional priorities outlined in the Look to Michigan vision by strengthening campus systems that contribute to long-term environmental stewardship and climate action.
“Reaching for these goals strengthens the systems that support a healthy, resilient campus,” said Shana Weber, associate vice president for campus sustainability. “They reflect our commitment to reducing waste, restoring ecosystems and working together to build a campus community where every action — large and small — reinforces our deep care for both our U-M and global home.”
The waste goal emphasizes reducing waste generated on campus, improving recycling and compost capture, expanding reuse and aligning purchasing practices to reduce unnecessary material inputs.
The resilient grounds goal strengthens U-M’s approach to landscape management by expanding naturalized areas, reducing synthetic chemical use, improving ecological health and enhancing stormwater quality. Both goals include indicators that will continue to be refined as additional data systems and measurement tools come online.
Together, these goals reinforce planning priorities identified in the Campus Plan 2050 framework by expanding naturalized landscapes and supporting evaluation of site-specific stormwater strategies as the campus evolves.
The updated goals for the Ann Arbor campus emerged from a structured review process involving student focus groups, operational units, faculty experts and sustainability professionals, who examined available data, peer approaches and opportunities to strengthen alignment between academic research and campus operations.
Key partners, including Custodial & Grounds Services, Waste Management Services, Grounds Services, the Environment, Health & Safety stormwater team and the Campus Planner’s Office, contributed essential operational, ecological and planning expertise that helped shape the updated goals and ensure they are both ambitious and achievable.
Waste: shifting toward reduction and circularity
The updated waste goal expands U-M’s focus beyond recycling and composting to include how much waste the university generates and how materials move through campus. The framework outlines expectations through 2037 and recommends a separate material reuse goal to be developed by 2030.
It also incorporates recommendations from a stakeholder committee convened by the Office of the Associate Vice President for Campus Sustainability to ensure the goals reflect the full scope of waste systems and material flows across campus. Key partners included Custodial & Grounds Services, Waste Management Services, Grounds Services, Michigan Medicine, Procurement Services, Student Life and Athletics served on the committee that helped shape the updated goals.
Key components include:
- Reducing overall waste generation per person and per square foot of building area.
- Improving recycling and compost capture rates.
- Reducing regulated and construction waste.
- Strengthening reuse systems and material-sharing infrastructure.
- Aligning purchasing practices to reduce unnecessary material inputs.
Campus momentum is already building in this direction. Led by the Office of Campus Sustainability, the university hosted more than 500 zero-waste events last year, diverted 10 tons of student move-out material for donation and rehomed more than $776,000 in reusable laboratory materials. Standardized waste stations, improved bin placement and education efforts continue to support these outcomes.
Resilient grounds: supporting ecosystem health
The new resilient grounds goal provides a framework for improving biodiversity, soil health and sustainable land management across U-M’s campuses. It also supports Ann Arbor, Flint and Dearborn campus plan frameworks to integrate ecological resilience, naturalized landscapes and enhanced stormwater systems into the long-range physical design of campus.
It sets expectations through 2035 and emphasizes reducing chemical inputs and expanding naturalized landscapes.
The goal includes:
- Strengthening the earlier chemical-reduction goal, which U-M met ahead of schedule, by setting a new target of a 70% reduction by 2030.
- Eliminating neonicotinoids and 2,4-D herbicides by 2030.
- Expanding at least 75 percent naturalized or sustainable landscapes.
- Conducting a campuswide biodiversity assessment and developing ecological indicators.
- Developing location-specific stormwater management targets by 2027 that may exceed existing permit requirements.
This work strengthens U-M’s ability to take a more nuanced, site-specific approach to stormwater performance rather than relying solely on broad, campuswide measures.
Informed by data and campus input
The updated goals were shaped through extensive cross-campus engagement. Working groups assessed operational feasibility, environmental impact, peer benchmarking and opportunities to strengthen research connections.
“This work reflects the wisdom and contributions of many people across the university,” Weber said, “and represents a shared direction that strengthens our community’s resilience today and for future generations of Wolverines.”
What’s next
Units across the university will begin integrating the new goals into planning and operations. Progress and related projects will be reported annually on the Office of Campus Sustainability website, alongside examples of ongoing projects and opportunities for students, faculty and staff to engage.
The goals also help deepen alignment between U-M’s operational practices and academic mission, strengthening the university’s ability to test new ideas, support applied research and advance long-term sustainability across the higher education landscape.
