Princeton Review Rates SBU Among Nation's Greenest Colleges

Just in time for Earth Day, Stony Brook University announced that Princeton Review together with the U.S. Green Building Council have rated Stony Brook University among the nation's most environmentally-friendly schools.

It's the third year in a row on the list for Stony Brook, which appears in “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2012 Edition.” Nine other SUNY campuses were also on the list.

The university was lauded for achievements including:

• 40 percent of its food budget is spent on local or organic produce;
• the administration has a formal sustainability committee;
• LEED construction requirements met for new buildings;
• offering environmental studies as a major; and more.

"The State University of New York takes great pride in the increasing sustainability efforts on our campuses, and contributing to an energy-smart New York is one of six primary focuses of our strategic plan," SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher said in a statement.

Stony Brook also made a strong showing in the 12th annual RecycleMania Tournament, finishing 17th out of 296 entries in the "Gorilla" category, which takes into account the total weight of bottles, cans, cardboard and recycled paper collected. In the E-Waste category, which measures the total weight of recycled electronic waste, SBU finished eighth out of 67 entries.