Going green isn't a fad. It's the future.

We've got green thumbs, and buildings, and buses, and res halls, and a lot of other green initiatives. Everywhere you look, Loyola's using the latest technology to protect our planet. The water you drink, the energy you use, even the stuff you throw away—it's all evidence of our commitment to sustainability.

Transportation

Low-impact travel options

Energy

A "Net-Zero" energy plan

Food

Locally-sourced, campus-grown

Waste

Recycling and composting

Water

Managing and conserving

Biodiversity

Protecting fragile ecosystems

Sustainability on campus

Our green campus

The Sierra Club ranks Loyola in the nation's top 40 greenest colleges and universities.

Transportation

We provide efficient, convenient, and safe transportation options for students, staff, and visitors.

Loyola 'L' Station

Trains and buses connect to the city

Charging Stations

Electric vehicle-charging stations available

Car sharing

Pick-up and drop-off location

ChainLinks

Student-run bicycle rental and repair shop

Campus shuttle

Connects the two lakeside campuses

Energy

Through massive conservation efforts, renewable energy installations, and living greenroofs, we are working toward being a net-zero energy campus.

Energy efficient buildings

Includes classrooms, residence halls, and labs on campus

LEED certified buildings

Six LEED certified buildings on the Lake Shore Campus

Hyper-efficient chiller plant and boiler

Conserves more hot water on campus

Campus Shuttle

Shuttle runs on student-produced biodiesel fuel and connects two campuses

Electric charging

Electric cars can charge up on campus

Food

Students, faculty, and staff make a commitment to investigate industrial agriculture and understand its impacts on a local, national, and global scale.

Winthrop garden

Community garden maintained by Loyola students

Container gardens

Student-maintained container gardens in Mertz Hall

Farmers market

Weekly market where students sell food grown on campus

"Engrained" green cafe

Cafe advancing sustainability by supporting local farmers

Vegewater community garden

Communities creating neighborhood gardens

Waste

We're rethinking how materials enter and leave our campuses, and Loyola is learning how to turn trash into a resource.

Winthrop garden

Composting initiative run by students

IES

Home of the recycling and composting campus initiatives

Compost and recycling

Waste from Simpson and de Nobili dining halls processed

Water

As the leading university in Chicago on aquatic research, we continue to fight for fair access to drinking water and conservation.

Permeable pavement

Collects runoff and treats it for use on campus

Permeable artificial turf

Collects runoff water for use on campus

Stormwater retention cistern

Filters collected water

Lake Michigan

Lake recharged from filtered storm water

Biodiversity

Loyola’s campus landscapes are award-winning spots that connect to Chicago and to the larger ecological region.

Lake Michigan

Loyola is committed to preserving this valuable resource

Green roof

Loyola has more green roofs than any other university or college in the Midwest

Migratory bird friendly

Loyola works to prevent migratory bird collisions with campus buildings

Native vegetation

Loyola cultivates plants that have been in our region for centuries

By the numbers

19

million gallons of rainwater that Loyola diverts annually from Chicago’s sewers

111

plastic soda bottles make up each chair at Engrained Café

55,000+

square feet of green roofs at Loyola, the most of any college in the Midwest

Make a real difference

You don’t need to wait for a degree to start helping the planet. Find out how Loyola’s STEP class lets students start researching and fixing sustainability problems—now.

I can definitely say that my best memories were made at the gardens on campus. Having so much green space on an urban campus is a privilege.

— Magdalena Nykaza
Institute for Environmental Sustainability

The new Institute of Environmental Sustainability combines academics and research with sustainable agriculture and community living. And it does it all in one amazing facility.

  • 1The Ecodome
    More than a pretty facade
  • 2Clean energy lab
    The future of fuel
  • 3Geothermal system
    Using the Earth's energy
  • 4Aquaponics
    A symbiotic system

Read more

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