At the May 19, 2025 unveiling of Casella’s upgraded recycling processing facility in Willimantic, CT, a generous donation of $10,000 was made to UConn’s Office of Sustainability in order to support a graduate fellowship focused on zero waste efforts. The Zero Waste Program Coordinator will play a key role in advancing UConn’s Zero Waste efforts. The coordinator will work closely with students, faculty, staff, and sustainability partners to implement strategies that reduce waste and promote circular economy principles across campus. They will also provide first-level leadership over the Thrift Den (UConn’s free store) and the Thrift Den Interns.

Casella processes UConn Storrs’ recyclables, and their updated facility will now be able to double the amount of cans, paper, and glass recycled in a year! In addition to the upgraded sorting machinery, Casella also partnered with Eversource to enhance the facility’s electrical efficiency and minimize its energy usage.

Thank you Casella for supporting zero waste efforts at UConn!

June 9-11: NECSC Summit

The Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium (NECSC) Summit will be held the evening of Monday, June 9, 2025 through the afternoon of Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at the UConn Avery Point Campus. The co-hosts are Connecticut College and the University of Connecticut.

The NECSC Summit is known for being an inclusive, fun, and informative gathering of sustainability professionals representing higher education institutions across the Northeast, Southeast Canada and the upper mid-Atlantic.

Topics of discussion include the current political sustainability landscape, student engagement and career development, decarbonization, and more. To see the most up-to-date information and registration information, click here.

About NECSC

The Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium (NECSC) was established in October 2004 to support sustainability officers in advancing education about and demonstration of sustainable systems on university campuses in the northeast and maritime region. Organized around the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, the NECSC members have committed to an annual meeting that advances campus sustainability by providing close networking opportunities, professional development, and access to the area’s vibrant and growing college and university sustainability practitioner community. With no formalized structure, the NECSC is a collaborative, participatory network serving sustainability professionals in higher education in the northeast region.