UK Celebrates April as Earth Month

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 5, 2022) — Each year the University of Kentucky recognizes April as Earth Month, a month dedicated to promoting sustainability and participating in sustainable initiatives around the community. To help spread awareness about sustainable practices, the university will be hosting and promoting events all month long – making it easy to get involved.

“Sustainability is an institutional priority for UK, and we are working to make positive changes year-round,” said Shane Tedder the sustainability coordinator for UK. “April is the perfect month to celebrate with the campus partners and programs at the forefront of our efforts.”

UK’s Earth Month 2022 events include:

• Waste Reduction Week — Monday, April 11, through Friday, April 15
  • A full week of waste reduction programs presented by UK Recycling. See details below.
• Bike Week — Monday, April 18, through Friday, April 22
  • UK Transportation Services presents five days of bike-related activities, plus a chance to win a $100 certificate that's good at any of the four local bike shops.
• Spring Sustainability Symposium — Tuesday, April 19, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Scholars Lounge of the Lewis Honors College
  • Join Lewis Honors College for a panel on the environmental and social implications of the electrification of cars in Kentucky with speakers from Toyota, the Kentucky Office of Energy Policy, Urban and Environmental Design and more. Sponsored by the Crabtree-Cornell Family Fund for the Environment.
• UK Tree Planting Event — Friday, April 22, 1-2:30 p.m., W.T. Young Library (Outside of Starbucks).
  • UK Grounds and UK Sustainability are teaming up with the Urban Forest Initiative for UK’s second annual Earth Day tree planting. Participants will help plant several new trees around the W.T. Young Library.
• UK Dining Plant Forward Picnic — Wednesday, April 27, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., The Fresh Food Company at The 90
  • With a standard meal swipe, diners will receive a sustainable, plant-based meal and the first 100 guests will also receive a free succulent plant.
  • Please note that the date is subject to change due to weather, so be sure to follow UK Dining’s social media accounts to stay up to date on details.

A full list of the month’s events can be found here.

In honor of Earth Month, UK Recycling is celebrating its second annual Waste Reduction Week with a week full of events that teach attendees how to reduce their waste on and off-campus. Events include:

• Monday, April 11 
  • How to fix a car demonstration, Willy T Bowl, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m.
  • “Plastic Wars,” documentary screening, Gatton Student Center Worsham Cinema, 7 p.m.-11 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 12 
  • Free thrift shop, Gatton Student Center Cats Den, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
  • Roadie Mobile Mini Material Recovery Facility demonstration, Reynolds’s parking lot, 9 a.m.-noon
• Wednesday, April 13 
  • “Fast Fashion” presentation by RayeCarol Cavender, White Hall Classroom Building 122, 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
• Thursday, April 14 
  • Clothing repair demonstration, Gatton Student Center Cats Den, 1 p.m.-3 p.m.

There are also activities community members can get involved in, at any time of the year.

• One Habit Pledge — A City of Lexington program that encourages any citizen to make one habit at a time that will lower their landfill-bound waste. 
• Stich It, Don’t Pitch It — A City of Lexington program that offers easy, downloadable sewing patterns to make items that can help reduce waste. 

To learn more about sustainability efforts at UK, visit https://www.uky.edu/sustainability/.

To learn more about recycling at UK, visit https://www.uky.edu/facilities/cppd/services/facilities-services/recycling.