UT Green Fund Projects

The Green Fund, formerly Green Fee, is a competitive grant program funded by UT Austin tuition fees to support sustainability-related projects and initiatives proposed by university students, faculty, or staff. Each student contributes $5 per semester and $2.50 per summer session to the Green Fund. Funds are awarded each May through an  annual grant competition . Alternatively, a limited number of  mini-grants  are awarded on a rolling basis. A student majority committee solicits and reviews proposals and awards Green Fund grants.

Since the program’s creation in 2010, the Green Fund program generated over $5 million in support of over 200 projects to students, faculty, and staff.

Women's Relief Initiative is helping fight period poverty one biodegradeable menstrual pad at a time! Learn more about their mission and how to get involved  here .

Did you know Texas Guadaloop is a two time innovation awardee of the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition? Visit  their website  to discover how their research is helping revolutionize sustainable transportation.

Interested in saving the bees? Read about the native plants that support pollinators in your backyard  here !

The Rainewable team is working on a rainwater collection and filtration system to provide clean drinking water for a local school. Learn more about the innovative technology they're using  here .

Want to know the secret ingredient in Trout's Famous Soba Noodles? Screen the student film to  uncover the mystery .

South Asia Garden is a community where students of all backgrounds can discover the delicacies of South Asian cultures and the beauty of sustainable food production. Visit  their website  to learn how to get involved.

Did you know, academic research labs produce an estimated 5.5 million tonnes of plastic waste in the U.S. every year? Find out ways to make your lab more sustainable through recycling, green chemistry, water conservation methods, and much more by visiting the  Green Labs website !

Read more about our 2019-20 projects  here  .

Did you know, vertical growing towers produce greens such as broccolini, kale, and arugula three times as fast as traditional farming methods? They also use 90% less space and water! Learn more about how vertical growers are helping make UT dining halls more sustainable  here .

Learn more about Fashion Anonymous's interactive exhibits on the carbon footprint of fast fashion in  this 2019 article  by The Daily Texan writer, Katya Bandouil.

The Waller Creek Monster Habitat came to fruition in only 10 short weeks! Read more about the creative process behind the project  here  and take a look at the final exhibit  here .

Read more about our 2018-19 projects  here .

Ever wonder where all of the great Trash to Treasure finds come from? Check out  this  article on the Textiles and Apparel Recycling project to learn more!

A shocking 84 percent of clothing and textiles end up in landfills or incinerators, forming a behemoth of waste. Read about how UT professor, Dr. Jonathan Chen, is leading an effort to recycle cotton textiles into new rayon fabric  here .

Longhorns have been dedicated to protecting our environment for over 50 years now. Learn about students' fight to maintain the natural environment at Waller Creek in 1969 and the film made to commemorate the Battle of Waller Creek  here .

Blackland Prairie was once an eco-region of Austin which spanned much of the Hill Country. Now, this habitat has been reduced to a shocking one percent of what it once was. Learn more about the Half-Pint Prairie project and why students are restoring a patch of campus in  this  article.

A tree nursery developed at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center was funded by Green Fund, as told in this 2012 article.  Read more  in The Daily Texan.

Liz Arredondo is an executive assistant in the Center for Electromechanics at UT's Pickle Research Campus. Read more about why she found a passion for educating others about proper waste disposal techniques in  this interview !

Batteries can be recycled into a multitude of products, including sunscreen, kitchenware, and asphalt. Learn more about University Housing and Dining's project to expand these possibilities throughout UT's campus in  this article  by The Daily Texan.

Read more about why Susan Sharp, director of the Carbon Roadshow, decided to develop digestible, educational information about UT's carbon footprint for the entirety of campus  here. 

The  UT Farm Stand  provides a pipeline to fresh, local produce as well as information about food preparation, nutrition, and other items. Learn about how the project works in  this article  by The Daily Texan and  read more  in Orange.

The School of Architecture used Green Fund to launch a give-and-take system in their  Materials Lab  as part of UT Austin's 2020 zero-waste goal. Read more about the project in  this article  by The Daily Texan writer, Jessica Shu.

UT Landscaping is using UAVs to conserve irrigation water on campus.  Read more  in The Daily Texan.

Read about how Longhorns are using aquaponic technology to cultivate plants and farm fish in greenhouses on campus  here ! For more information on this student-led project, visit  The Office of Sustainability's website .

Green Fund grants have established water bottle filling stations on campus, as noted in this 2013.   Read more  in The Daily Texan.

The Sustainability Squad sorts waste after football games, diverting much from the landfill. Read more in  The Daily Texan  and from  Texas Sports .