Materials & Resources

UMass Sustainability Policy Principle

The University of Massachusetts Sustainability Policy requires the UMass campuses to promote strategies to encourage waste reduction, implement a procurement approach to access environmentally preferable purchases, and support sustainable food systems.

Support of Sustainable Materials and Resouce Use

Waste Reduction

UMass Chan Medical School in collaborations with UMass Memorial Medical Center, the University’s
affiliated Hospital, donates unused medical supplies to a non-profit organization called Partners for World Health, based
in Portland, Maine, that distributes them to people in need both domestically and around the world. To date over 6 tons of medical supplies have been donated.

Sustainable Food & Procurement 

Sustainable dining criteria was integrated to the selection process for our food service partner. This included ensuring the vendor could source local food, eliminate Styrofoam, partner on waste reduction goals, and achieve Green Resutraunt Association certification. NexDine was selected as the food service partner for UMass Chan Medical School in part because of their commitment to environmental stewardship. In 2020 they received Green Resturant Association certification for the Albert Sherman Center dining facility. 

Developing Partnerships

UMass Chan Medical School's dining services provider, NexDine, has partnered with the Worcester Regional Food HUB, an organization designed to enhance the regional food system by increasing local food access through partnership with local food entrepreneurs. 

Planning for the Future 

Materials and resources is one of they focus areas of the sustainability and climate action plan that UMass Chan is currently undertaking with support of consultant GreenerU. Through the process key stakeholders will evaluate ways to integrate sustainability best practices materials and resource management.

Have an idea of how to make the use material and resource more sustainable at UMass Chan more sustainable? Let us know at growing.green@umassmed.edu