Campus Environmental Center

CEC Information

• Who we are - The Campus Environmental Center is the Oldest and Largest Student Run Sustainability Organization. Our Mission is to provide unique opportunities to engage with sustainability through our project teams and general events. CEC students are the masterminds behind - Trash to Treasure, Microfarm, Greenevents, and more!

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We strive to accomplish our mission through educational workshops, campus events, and our 3 project teams.

1. Green Events: Creates free composting and recycling services, environmental consulting, and the provision of compostable materials, hundreds of pounds of student-generated waste is diverted away from landfills.
2. Microfarm: The first student-run organic farm offering volunteer opportunities to student organizations and educating the student body on sustainable farming practices.
3. Trash to Treasure: Diverts gently-used clothing and dorm goods from the landfill and creates an affordable alternative to buying new through $1 thrift sale events.

Our project teams provide students with a unique one-stop shop to engage in sustainability efforts at UT Austin. Each team is run by two paid part-time Co-Directors and fantastic volunteers. The CEC is supported by the Office of Sustainability through a full-time staff advisor. This structure has created a robust internship program where Co-Directors and Co-leads learn pre-professional skills, increase sustainability knowledge, and get the opportunity to lead their peers and enact impactful change at UT.

• What are we fundraising for: We pride ourselves on being many students' first step into environmentalism. In order to do this we have removed due requirements for students to participate in the CEC’s events. As a result, our programming is reliant on consistent renewal of university funding and grants. Our fundraising efforts are in hopes of developing new programming elements and strengthening our current projects.

• Donor impact (how will it help?): The Campus Environmental Center is working to expand our current project teams, and general member events. We have increased general member events this year with the goal of facilitating connection, additional funds would go towards funding additional events and keep CEC membership fee free. These events are open to any UT students. Donations will also help bolster our current projects through improved marketing materials, new tools for our farm, and compostable materials.

How you can help! Donate to the Campus Environmental Center. Below you can learn more about each project team, and what they are fundraising for.

Green Events Information

• Who we are: Our mission is to lead UT towards achieving its goal of 90% waste diversion. Through free composting and recycling services, zero waste consulting, and provision of compostable materials, hundreds of pounds of student-generated waste is diverted away from landfills.
• What are we fundraising for:
  • Compostable Materials (plates, cutlery, compost bags)
    • Dinnerware for club event for 50 members: $25 per event
    • Dinnerware for club event for 300 members: $150
    • Compost bags for 100 students to start composting at home: $20 each
    • Compost Bags for Student Events (120 pack) $102
  • New Compost/Recycling Bins
    • At-home compost bins for students: $30 per bin
  • Contracts for industrial composting
    • Organics by Gosh: 4 bins for a year for one apartment building in West Campus $3000
• Donor impact (how will it help?): By funding these items, we can remove price barriers for organizations that want to fund a zero-waste event. This way, accessibility to sustainable options is equal for all student organizations, and UT will be a greener campus!

Microfarm Information

• Who we are: UT Microfarm is the first student-run organic farm offering volunteer opportunities to student organizations and educating the student body on sustainable farming practices. Everything we grow is donated to the UT Outpost, the food pantry on campus. We have donated over 1,600 pounds since 2019. We also run the only seed library on campus accessible to the student body. We manage a team of 25 student volunteers who we train with leadership skills and pre professional abilities.
• What are we fundraising for: We are fundraising for new equipment and funds for supplies such as transplants and seeds.
  • Seed Library supplies for upkeep $50
  • Transplants for a semester $250
  • Safety supplies (gloves, organic ant killer, etc) $100
  • New tools to replace broken ones $500
• Donor impact (how will it help?): Running a farm is a lofty task, and while we are crafty with our money and supplies, having extra funding will allow us to provide adequate tools to all volunteers, and invest money in new projects that will beautify the farm, such as an aquaponics garden or greenhouse.

Trash to Treasure Information

• Who we are: Trash to Treasure is a sustainable project that diverts gently-used clothing and dorm goods from the landfill while making buying used an affordable alternative to buying new. Through a campus-wide dorm donation drive and subsequent $1 thrift sale events, we provide thousands of pounds of essential items to students and faculty.
• What are we fundraising for:
  • Events & Moving Costs
    • Sponsor a Trash to Treasure Thrift Sale on main campus (donor/company marketing banner included)- $1,200 per event
  • Workshop/Storage Facility
    • Permanent, accessible storage location on/by campus- $500-1000/month?
    • Transportable wheeled bins- 4 for $320 each
    • Workshop supplies
      • Sewing Machine to host 4 events per year to mend clothing- 5 for $200 each
      • Mending kits - 5 for $40 each
      • Desk space- 2 for $215 each
    • Laundering facility
      • Washer and dryers capable of laundering thousands of pounds of clothing - $2500+
• Donor impact (how will it help?):
  • Your donation will allow us to expand our project’s reach across UT by increasing our operational capacity. With a larger storage facility and more resources, we’ll be able to accept more donations and give UT students and faculty more access to affordable essentials like clothes, shoes, school supplies, etc.

To learn more about the Campus Environmental Center (CEC visit our website or contact our director at director@utenvironment.org.