News & Events

UnPower Hour is an event in which participants switch off lights, equipment, and appliances for one hour to reduce energy consumption. 

This event was part of Earth Hour 2025, which took place on Saturday, March 22, a World Wildlife Fund initiative that aims to raise awareness of climate change while empowering individuals to create a tangible impact on the planet.  
On March 20, 125 people from the WCM community participated in the event.  

Based on the reported...

Sustainable Lab Checklist and WCM Green Labs Certification 

Research laboratories are energy and resource-intensive due to the sensitive work they conduct. To help them reduce their environmental footprint, we have created a Sustainable Lab Checklist outlining actions they can...

The new NYP-WCM Environmental Sustainability Committee began in May 2025, as an expansion of the PeriOp Sustainability Group to address environmental issues that clinicians and staff in clinical spaces encounter daily. The PeriOp Sustainability Group was founded in 2022 as a partnership between the...

Soft plastic, such as clear plastic bags, bubble wrap, and wrappers, do not belong in regular recycling. However, these items can be recycled as long as they are collected and bagged separately from the rest of the recycling.

Dedicated bins are available at 1300 York Ave and the Belfer Research Building, where people can bring their collected plastic films to divert them from landfills. 

What can go in the Plastic Film Recycling bin?
Soft, clear and translucent plastic:...

As part of our continuing waste infrastructure improvement project, we recently re-examined the trash and recycling bins in the common areas on the Belfer Research Building laboratory floors (floors 4-16). To clarify the recycling process, we repurposed existing bins and gave them a facelift. After conducting waste audits and talking to researchers and staff, a few...

Need to Defrost your Freezer? New Back-up -80°C Freezer Available for WCM Labs

A new -80°C freezer is available for short-term storage in the 1300 York Avenue building to encourage WCM labs to conduct annual maintenance on their own units.

Why is this important?
Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers (ULTs), commonly referred to as -80 freezers, are some of the most energy-intensive plug-load equipment utilized in WCM labs. These units should be...

The Office of Energy & Sustainability and Environmental Health & Safety recently launched a new battery recycling program.

We placed two battery recycling bins in the lobby of 1300 York Avenue and Belfer Research Building, allowing faculty, staff, and students to recycle batteries at their convenience. ...

To celebrate Earth Month, the Office of Energy and Sustainability organized two annual events, the One Healthcare Ecochallenge and the Stop and Swap.

We participated in the second annual One Healthcare Ecochallenge, a free, virtual, and friendly month-long competition between healthcare organizations that aims to promote healthy, sustainable habits and community health. Forty-four Weill Cornell Medicine employees and students...

May is National Bike Month, which celebrates biking as a popular type of recreation and an environmentally friendly mode of transportation that can help reduce one’s carbon footprint. The Office of Energy & Sustainability encourages you to review incentives that make cycling a sustainable way to commute to campus.

Bike Parking

• Bike racks are available in the...

You are invited to join team Weill Cornell Medicine in the One Healthcare EcoChallenge 2024, a free, virtual, and friendly month-long competition (April 1 - 30, 2024) between healthcare organizations that aims to promote healthy, sustainable habits and community health. Use the EcoChallenge platform to select impactful actions at work and at home, and log your progress to see how your actions add up. You can join the challenge before or at any time...

Infrastructure equipment, services, and business hours required to maintain operations make Weill Cornell Medicine a significant energy user. For the past six years, Weill Cornell Medicine has participated in summertime Demand Response (DR) programs, which play an important role in maintaining the operation and resiliency of the New York City electric grid. DR programs are collective actions involving suppliers and customers that can help reduce the likelihood of grid outages, defer the...

Thank you to all who participated in Earth Month 2023 events!

The inaugural Earth Month Stop & Swap was held on April 30, 2023, in the basement of Olin Hall, and we collected 60 bags of clothing (283.5 pounds) and over 90 books! After the event, the remaining items—62.9 pounds of clothing and 86 books—were donated to asylum seekers and migrants via...

The Office of Energy & Sustainability invites you to our inaugural "freecycle" event, Stop and Swap, on Thursday, April 20, 2023. Do you have clothes you no longer wear, books you would like to share, or old batteries that need recycling? Reduce waste and give these items a second life by bringing them to the gym in the basement of Olin Hall on Thursday morning between 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM on April 20.

You are invited to return to the gym between 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM on April 20 to...

Join our seasonal and sustainable cooking class, "Cooking in Season: Benefits You and The Environment" on Monday, December 9 at 5:30 PM in the Second Floor Café of the David H. Koch Building. Join WCM Sustainability and NYP Integrative Wellness for a healthy cooking lesson featuring squash, pumpkin, and sweet potato. Learn the importance of cooking with seasonal ingredients while creating healthy, delicious meals. ...

Continuing with Campus Sustainability Month, the WCM Sustainability Leadership Council is hosting a talk with the NY Department of Sanitation next Monday, October 21st at 12:00 PM at the Belfer Research Building, Conference Room 204-A. Learn how to reduce waste and enjoy some light refreshments. Seating is limited, please email wcm-sustainability@med.cornell.edu by Friday, October 18th to register...

October is Campus Sustainability Month, and WCM is joining the celebrations once again! This is a yearly international celebration of sustainability in higher education, held every October by many universities and college campuses. Our first event was tending to t...

As you know, WCM Unpower Hour was a resounding success this year. We had 20 Green Leaders throughout the institution that ranged from administrative offices, university campus, research labs, the graduate school, and the Burke Medical Reseach Center. 

WCM Government and Community Affairs and Friends of St. Catherine's Park are hosting a park cleanup volunteer event on Saturday, May 4 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, at St. Catherine's Park (1st Avenue between East 67th and 68th Streets). 

St. Catherine's Park is a local...

The Green Kits for Unpower Hour are now ready to be picked up by Green Leaders! If you signed up to be a Green Leader, check your email for pickup instructions and contact information.

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Join us as a Green Leader and enroll coworkers in your area for both the WCM Unpower Hour 2019 on Thursday, March 28 and ...

UPDATE: This contest has now ended. Congratulations to the winner, Soham Gupta!

The holidays are here! While the festivities are a great time to celebrate with friends and family, 25% more trash is produced during this season.

Tell us...

Continuing with Campus Sustainability month, the WCM Sustainability Leadership Council is hosting a talk with NYC DEP next Monday, October 22nd at Weill Greenberg Center Y-214C at noon.

 Join us in learning about the nation’s most extensive municipal...

Weill Cornell Medicine is currently celebrating its first Campus Sustainability Month! This is a yearly international celebration of sustainability in higher education, held every October by many universities and college campuses. Our first event was the screening of several Story of Stuff documentaries, which had great attendance and sparked conversations on how to reduce waste and energy...

Last week, we celebrated UnPower Hour and Earth Hour for the 10th year in a row. Hundreds of students, faculty and staff from almost every department participated either via Web or by signing up locally with the Green Leaders in each area. The events sparked many conversations on how to be "greener" at home and at work, and how small decisions we make in our daily lives have an impact in the environment and the planet.

This year, our Laboratories all over campus participated en masse,...

Update: this contest hasCongratulations to Jessica Alequin, the very lucky winner of our Giveaway! Stay tuned for more contests and raffles coming up soon.

Did you know that US household waste increases by 25% in the holiday season? Head over to our Facebook page and show us how you're making your holiday presents more eco-friendly for a...