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ESF’s Center for Sustainable Materials Management Honored with Innovator Award
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Feb. 5, 2025 – The Center for Sustainable Materials Management (CSMM) at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) has received the 2024 Rheaply Innovator Award, recognizing its creative use of the Rheaply platform to advance sustainability.
Since partnering with Rheaply in 2024, ESF has made significant progress in promoting reuse. The Rheaply-powered ESF Resource Exchange allows faculty, staff, and graduate students to list and claim surplus property for use on campus—such as furniture and lab supplies—keeping materials in circulation longer.
In just six months, the project facilitated 280 exchanges, saved over $55,000, and diverted nearly 9,000 pounds of material from landfills.
“ESF has a strong commitment to sustainability and innovation,” said ESF President Joanie Mahoney. “We are proud of the Center for Sustainable Materials Management team for their leadership in advancing reuse and circular economy practices, demonstrating the real-world impact of our mission.”
“This award is a testament to our team’s dedication and ingenuity,” said Kathryn Walker, executive director of CSMM. “By reimagining waste as a resource, we’re helping build a more sustainable future. We’re honored to receive this recognition from Rheaply.”
ESF’s sustainability efforts continue to earn national recognition. In 2024, the College was named the #2 Zero Waste Campus by the Post Landfill Action Network (PLAN) and the #4 Green College by the Princeton Review.
“Sustainability requires more than policies—it demands action,” said Sue Fassler, ESF’s director of sustainability. “The ESF Resource Exchange has solved a long-standing challenge: getting unused materials back into circulation. This reduces waste, lowers costs, and minimizes new purchases.”
ESF is also launching its Sustainability Action Plan to achieve carbon neutrality, expand renewable energy, cut energy use, and reduce landfill and incineration waste. The plan supports ESF’s mission to train future environmental leaders and foster community partnerships for sustainability solutions.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.
About CSMM
The mission of the Center for Sustainable Materials Management (CSMM) is to inspire, lead, and connect a diverse range of people and organizations to challenge the traditional notion of “waste.” By rethinking how materials are procured, produced, consumed, managed, and marketed, CSMM fosters sustainable practices and innovative solutions. The center is generously funded through the NYS Environmental Protection Fund and administered by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.