Going green: Marquette focuses on a sustainable future

Going green: Marquette focuses on a sustainable future October is Campus Sustainability Month, which provides time to engage, educate and inspire students, faculty and staff to become sustainability changemakers.   As a proud member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability and the U.S. Green Building Council, Marquette is committed to sustainability and environmental justice as a part of its Jesuit mission and dedication to Catholic Social Teaching.   Here are some ways Marquette is working toward a more sustainable tomorrow.  Campus Sustainability Month   Throughout the month, multiple events and collaborative efforts are held across the university. Each year during October, sustainability interns set up tables for weekly events in the AMU rotunda to interact with students through peer education. Activities include playing sustainability “Jeopardy,” sharing resources on how to reduce your carbon footprint and highlighting particular sustainable programs students can take part in throughout the year.   Historically, one of the most popular initiatives is bringing a reusable mug to the AMU Brew to receive a 10% discount.  October events around campus:  Iggy’s Market  Home of Marquette’s Backpack Program and Career Closet, Iggy’s Market has quickly become a hub for student support and sustainability efforts on campus. Now under one roof in Holthusen Hall, the space creates a “basic needs resource center” with greater visibility and easier access for students. From January 2024 to August 2026, Iggy’s Market recorded more than 5,700 visits, with most students seeking food assistance.    Learn more about how the Holthusen Hall hub brings food assistance, career resources and sustainability efforts together in one accessible space.  MarKept Market  Students moving into their campus residences this fall embraced sustainability in a big way. By shopping for gently used household items at MarKept, Marquette’s campus reuse store, they saved money while reducing their environmental footprint. The reuse store sold more than 2,050 items from Aug. 19-28. During spring move-out, students will be able to donate gently used clothing, household items, school supplies and other essentials, keeping usable items out of landfills and helping prepare for another year of supporting students.  Earth Month  Marquette University focuses on raising environmental awareness and promoting action through community efforts every April during Earth Month. One of standout event during this month is the Sustainable Styles Ungendered Clothing Swap, a collaboration between Campus Sustainability and the Office of Inclusion and Belonging. This event provided students with the opportunity to donate gently used clothing and shop from their peers at no cost, helping build confidence while also promoting sustainable behaviors.   Community Gardens  In May, Marquette’s Community Gardens were launched, offering opportunities to take part in a sustainable community food system while establishing belonging by cultivating a shared environment. Located on the Humphrey Hall lawn, eight garden beds are available for rent May through September, open to faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students. Half and whole garden beds are available for use, with the option to harvest produce for themselves or donation to The Backpack Program.   Pocket Prairie initiative   Marquette’s Pocket Prairie is located on Eckstein Common, just south of the AMU on Wisconsin Avenue. The plantings feature more than 60 species of Wisconsin native wildflowers, grasses and shrubs. A group of faculty, staff and students behind the prairie partner closely with Marquette’s grounds crew to improve the pollinator habitat as well as outdoor learning and reflection spaces on campus.   Identifying native trees on Marquette’s campus  Marquette University has a high concentration of Wisconsin native trees on its campus, and that’s why Campus Sustainability is taking inventory of Wisconsin native trees with the goal of creating an interactive map for the community to locate and learn more about the native trees and their ecological benefits. The map is on the DNR site, which is linked to Marquette’s sustainability site. The university has catalogued over 1,300 trees and continues to update the inventory.  EV charging stations  Marquette installed two dual-port ChargePoint charging stations on the lower level of each of the university’s two on-campus parking structures. The Level 2 AC charging stations will allow up to four cars to charge at one time in the 16th Street Parking Structure (Structure 1) and another four cars to charge at once in the Wells Street Structure (Structure 2).   Clearer skies by way of hybrid and electric engines for aircraft  One Marquette professor is continuing to lead the way with research on hybrid and electric engines for aircraft. Dr. Ayman EL-Refaie, Werner Endowed Chair of Secure and Sustainable Energy Systems and professor of electrical and computer engineering, continues his research on hybrid and electric engines for aircraft. The Marquette team — co-piloted by Dr. Nathan Weise, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering — is helping the United States reach an ambitious goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.   Reducing waste  Facilities Planning and Management has implemented a new custodial program that uses refillable soap dispensers and dual roll toilet paper dispensers, so half rolls are not wasted at the end of the day.