Progress and Impacts

Kaili Mikami (left) and Lauren Buyalos with an early shipment of reuse and recycling bins for their FLOW project

Environmental leadership program launches lab plastics reuse and recycling

Adding to a run of student-led recycling programs at UC Santa Barbara, fourth-year undergraduate students Kaili Mikami and Lauren Buyalos are helping combat the rising tide of discarded plastics in research laboratories.

Trash and the Zero Waste Dream: How UCSB Students Are Leading the Way in Recycling Innovation

Meet Jake Heeren, the student-powered force behind UCSB's recycling revolution, helping the campus get closer to zero waste—one bin at a time.

An individual going up the stairs of ILP building

Reaching net zero for emissions will bring major cost savings to campus

Shelly Leachman

Furthering its reputation as a sustainability leader across higher education, UC Santa Barbara has released its Clean Energy Master Plan, a blueprint for eliminating almost all campus-generated carbon emissions within 20 years, or less.

Garden box with flower and bright colors painted on it

Isla Vista Beautification Project Driven by Local Volunteers

A community initiative among the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD), Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County (Habitat Santa Barbara), and UC Santa Barbara Edible Campus Program is underway.

The project is designed to enhance community engagement through volunteer-driven beautification and sustainability projects.