Amherst College
PRE-2: Points of Distinction

Decarbonization by 2030 – Amherst Climate Action Plan

Amherst College aims to decarbonize its campus energy system by 2030 through an ambitious, transformative modernization of our campus energy system. In order to decarbonize our campus energy system, Amherst is transitioning all heating and cooling systems in campus buildings to one fully integrated system powered by renewable energy. We'll do this through a low-temperature hot water and geothermal system run on renewable electricty.

Starting summer 2023 we began the seven year transition project and are in the process of replumbing the campus distribution system to handle the low temperature hot water loop. Summer 2025 we will install a large closed-loop geothermal well system (135 deep wells) that will then be integrated with a new campus energy center and the new piping distrubution system.

The new system will require less energy to produce, lose less energy in transit, be safer to transport than steam, require less maintenance, and be powered by renewable solar electricity. The new systems will be fully online by 2030!

Creating a Circular Waste Stream

When students are moving out at the end of the school year, a lot of reusable items are landfilled/disposed of for the sake of convenience—particularly graduating seniors, who are moving out permanently. Instead of being thrown away, these items could find a new campus home with another student.

At Amherst College we have developed a coordinated campus closed loop system across the annual Move Out / Move In cycle that minimizes waste to the landfill during Move Out and reduces the purchase of new materials during Move In. Unlike many Move Out campaigns at other schools that divert donations to local thrift organizations or charities, we have focused on keeping as many of the items within the campus ecosystem. Donations are gathered during Move Out through a well-coordinated and messaged campaign through the Office of Sustainability, Facilities Team, Athletics Department, and Office of Residential Engagement and Wellbeing. Students are provided donation bags with designated drop spots for collection marked in the first-floor common spaces within each residence hall. Donations are picked up by our Facilities team and amassed in the college ice rink where they are sorted over the summer by a student zero waste fellow. The student fellow sorts, organizes, and stages a giant free Yard Sale and separate Clothing Extravaganza in the ice rink held during Move In / Orientation week. All of the usable donated room décor and dorm room accessories (e.g., linens, sheets, lamps, rugs, fans, decorative pillows, shower supplies, storage containers) are made available for free back to students during the yard sale. First year students are given first access, followed by returning students, staff, and faculty, respectively. Items available are typically in good condition and are items that students normally would go out and purchase from the surrounding big box stores or online. The program not only diverts items from the landfill on the back end, but also limits purchasing and consumption on the front end.

The free clothing event is a separate event held during the second week of classes. We host the event in the campus Ice Rink. Last year we had an estimated 10,000 pieces of clothes. In addition to the yard sale and clothing events we work to find second homes for all other materials – winter coats go to international students and students from warm temperate climates; textbooks are given to a campus student run used book store “The Option”; pleasure reading books are made available via free little libraries in the res halls and the campus library free book shelf. We have been able to successfully repurpose >90% of what we gather during Move Out. The remaining 10% goes to our local survival center. So nothing goes to waste! There is a lot of coordinated campus messaging and advertising around both the Move Out process and the Yard Sale and clothing events. The program has been a great partnership and collaborative effort among a variety of campus stakeholders.

The environmental and sustainability impact of the program is significant. We estimate we diverted roughly 20 tons / 100 cubic yards of room furnishings and over ten thousand articles of clothes from this past Move Out, that are being passed on to another set of students for use. Last year we estimate that over half the student population attended the free clothing give away (>1,000 students) and 700+ students and staff attended the Move In Yard Sale (including the majority of the first year class). The program has been particularly beneficial and popular to our lower-income students for whom room furnishings, clothing, and textbooks are a significant expense. We are in the third year of the program and have been able to divert even more stuff this year!

Only a few colleges in the country can say what we can say about financial aid. Our admission process is need-blind for all students, domestic and international. We make every effort to ensure that Amherst is affordable for each one of them.

• We meet 100% of our students’ calculated need—for domestic and international students.
• We were one of the first colleges in the country to adopt a no-loan policy. We replaced loans with scholarships, so our students can graduate with little or no debt.
• We’ve been providing need-based financial aid since our founding in 1821. Supporting students from all walks of life has always been at the core of who we are.

Students leave Amherst with an extraordinary education, a long list of exceptional accomplishments—and the freedom to build their future without the burden of student loan debt. This approach makes us distinctive.