Sustainability

Mount Saint Mary’s is continually evaluating the landscaping at both the Doheny and Chalon campuses, looking for drought-resistant plants that still provide the University’s unique historical aesthetic. The infrastructure features high-efficiency watering systems, low-flow shower heads in the residence halls and low-flow toilets in residence halls and common spaces. The University is currently conducting a benchmarking survey for water usage, with the goal of further reducing water use in the next five to 10 years. 

Through a program with the City of Los Angeles, Mount Saint Mary’s has significantly increased the number of EV charging stations at both campuses. These spots are available to faculty, staff, students and visitors. Additionally, the use of solar panels on existing buildings has reduced the University’s impact on the local electrical grid. The Wellness Pavilion at the Chalon Campus, currently under construction, has been designed to reduce the use of electricity throughout the facility through new technologies and building materials. Currently, the largest energy consumption is from air conditioning units, and the University is committed to a replacement program for higher efficiency units over the next several years. 

The University partners with Athens Services to recycle waste from the campuses. Athens operates a state-of-the-art facility where trash and recyclables are sorted and reused. New recycle bins have been added to the campuses for composting food waste. Refillable water stations on campus help reduce the dependence on single use water bottles.

Bon Appetit, the University’s food service provider, aims to serve students food grown primarily within a 150-mile radius, which reflects the ongoing effort in the cafes to support sustainable growing practices that nourish and replenish the land rather than stripping it of precious resources. Using local food sources also gives the Mount control over the amount of pesticides, hormones and antibiotics used.

Mount Saint Mary’s has joined hundreds of other Catholic colleges and universities worldwide in creating action plans to better care for the planet and each other by supporting Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical, “Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home.” Its message calls on everyone to pursue sustainability as a way to lift up both the earth and all who live on it, especially those most affected by damage to the environment. The Mount has begun an assessment to examine our values and aspirations in response to this call to action.

Mount Saint Mary’s has a robust shuttle system that takes hundreds of car trips off our busy streets, thus reducing carbon emissions. The University also purchases offset carbon credits through the South Coast Air Quality Management District to further reduce carbon emissions.