Greening Game Day Goes Great!

Last month, undergraduate student Shaylene Sanchez and a team from Facility Services-Recycling and the Office of Sustainability devised a plan to pilot a tailgating recycling cart entitled "Greening Game Day". Together we diverted 88 lbs of cans, glass, and bottles, a 74% diversion rate of the waste collected! This first run crushed expectations! 

"Huge thank you to UNM for giving me the resources and support to turn the idea into something real. I'm grateful for every volunteer and mentor who helped me through the process," said Shaylene Sanchez. "Seeing the community embrace the cart at the tailgate meant everything! It showed people want to support what our generation is building. Efforts like this prove that UNM can be a true leader in pushing New Mexico's recycling goals forward." 

The recycling cart will definitely be back next season! See the Daily Lobo for coverage on the event

Student Spotlight: Advancing Sustainability at UNM

As the Fall semester wraps up, we want to recognize our students’ dedication to sustainability on campus. This semester, Claire Walker, a Geography major with minors in Sustainability Studies and Anthropology, graduating in Spring 2026, interned at the Office of Sustainability.

Claire researched the viability of future composting initiatives at UNM, contributing meaningful analysis to ongoing campus efforts.

According to Anne Jakle, Director of the Office of Sustainability, “Claire’s work is an exemplar of how classwork, capstones, or internships can help advance the university’s sustainability goals outlined in the 2025 UNM Sustainability Strategic Plan.” Her project supports both Transforming Campus Operations and Sustainability Engagement and Culture, including efforts to investigate on-site composting and expand applied student research on priority sustainability needs.

This collaboration between the Office of Sustainability and the Sustainability Studies Program continues to strengthen both student learning and sustainability progress at UNM.

The Office of Sustainability welcomes additional student interns through SUST-402. For more information, please reach out to Program Director Andreas Hernandez.

UNM Sustainability Strategic Plan Released

After a year-long stakeholder engagement process, UNM has released its

5-year Sustainability Plan



Explore more here.

Zimmerman Library - UNM MAIN

SUB Solar - UNM MAIN

UNM South Golf Course Carport

Image courtesy of KRQE News 13

Solar at UNM is Growing

Electrification and decarbonization are top-line goals in the 2025 Sustainability Strategic Plan and UNM is already putting in the hard work with a few new sites placed in servicethis Fall across campuses. One of those sites includes the South Golf Course Solar PV Carport, which was electrified in August 2025 and began helping UNM meet its targeted greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions.

UNM now has a total of 16 solar installations across its main and branch campuses that produce nearly 4,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity per year.

We would also like to acknowledge the tremendous progress at the UNM Valencia Branch Campus (UNM-VC) with their two new solar installations at the Workforce Training Center and Learning Resource Center.

UNM-VC's GHG emissions have fallen nearly 76% since their 2013 peak, driven largely by expanded solar installations, reduction in purchased electricity, and a significant drop in PNM's carbon intensity.

Did you know about these solar projects? Check out our full chart to review solar generation across UNM here.

Free! UNM Bike Valet

A new, staffed, bike parking service funded by students and designed to make riding to campus easier, more convenient, and better supported than ever.

This new service promotes sustainable, active transportation by offering added convenience and an extra layer of staffed oversight beyond standard bike racks.

Explore how it works here!