Operations | Temple University Office of Sustainability

Temple embraces transformative operations in order to fully meet our climate commitment.

Temple is comprised of more than 40,000 individuals, making personal choices that affect how the university operates on a daily basis. Each person will decide how they travel to campus, what they will consume, how they will connect with technology, and how they manage their waste. Goals in the Operations category push Temple Owls to rethink individual and departmental choices and to inspire the integration of sustainability into decision making process.

Learn more about our goals and the progress we've made.

Waste Minimization and Recycling Goals and Progress

Achieve a 50% diversion rate by 2020.

Increase the core recycling rate to 30% by 2020.

Dedicate a staff person in university housing to achieve compliance with the university’s waste minimization and recycling initiatives by fall 2019.

Develop a comprehensive Materials Management plan and implementation schedule to achieve City of Philadelphia's Zero Waste partner status by 2020.

Grounds Goals and Progress

Develop and implement a plan for sustainable landscape management that builds on recommendations in the Verdant Temple Landscape Master Plan and incorporates plantings, soil management, water conservation, and integrated pest management by 2022.

Reduce the amount of water required for landscape management by 25% by 2025 from the 2006 baseline.

Reduce the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides by 75% by 2025 from the 2010 baseline.

Transportation Goals and Progress

Increase the number of commuters who utilize a sustainable form of transportation to the campus to 75% by 2025.

Reduce fleet-based emissions from 2006 baseline by 20% by 2030.

Reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles on campus by 10% by 2025.

Increase the percentage the university’s fleet that is alternatively fueled to 50% by 2030.

Indoor Air Quality Goals and Progress

Temple University will ensure that 100% of its paint, adhesives and sealers are third party verified as VOC free by 2019.

Sustainable IT Goals and Progress

ITS team will develop a comprehensive strategic plan for sustainable IT at the university by the end of 2019, and begin to implement its recommendations by 2020. The plan will look at procurement, operations and engagement.

Dining Goals and Progress

Temple University’s dining services will ensure that a minimum of 20% of its procurement spend is used on food that meets STARS definition of locally sourced by 2020.

Temple University will reach a 50% food waste diversion target by 2022 in its four largest dining facilities (J&H, Morgan Hall Food Court, Morgan Hall Dining Center, and Student Center).

Temple University will require its dining services provider to submit annual procurement reporting consistent with the STARS assessment program by 2018.

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