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Four members of the Knox community study the plants growing in a hoop house on the Knox farm.

Sustainability

Knox strives to be an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable community.

We're committed to creating and nurturing a culture of sustainability.

We believe such a culture includes:

  1. Recognition that humans are part of nature and need to live in balance with Earth's ecosystems.
  2. Reduced consumption of natural resources to a replenishable rate.
  3. Reduced generation of waste to a rate at which the environment can assimilate it.
  4. Decision-making that gives equal weight to natural, social, and economic systems.
  5. Commitment to place, including conservation and equity in distribution of local resources.

The above definition of Sustainability was crafted in May 2014, after a campus-wide survey aimed at understanding the priorities of students, staff, and faculty with regard to sustainability issues. Like this definition, the sustainability initiatives at Knox are creative, collaborative, and conscientious.

A student works on attaching the seat to a bicycle in the Knox College on-campus bike shop.

Memberships, Compacts, & Recognition

Knox College is involved in many local and national initiatives to increase the sustainability of our campus, community, and planet. A few recent and important ones include:

  • Recognized by the League of American Bicyclists 2024-2028 as a bronze-level bicycle-friendly business; and recognized as a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly University in 2018
  • Listed in Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges: 2021 Edition
  • Member of AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) since 2012
  • Earned a STARS Silver rating in 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2024
  • Member of USCC Composting Council, Illinois Foodscrap Coalition, and UMACS
  • Talloires Declaration Signatory since 2008 

Annual Sustainability Reports

Learn more about Knox's sustainability efforts in our annual reports

Learn More about Knox's Sustainability Efforts

Knox News
A student and staff members stand under the shade a tree surrounded by plants, while the student holds up a plant.

Five Ways Knox Students Celebrated Earth Month

Throughout this month, Knox students, staff, and student organizations scheduled a variety of events and activities aimed at educating the community on the importance of safeguarding our environment.

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Students working at the Knox Farm

A New Adventure Every Day: Working on the Knox Farm

Workers at the student-run operation implement sustainable practices to produce food for the Gizmo and Hard Knox Cafe.

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Knox Achieves Silver STARS Rating for Sustainability Efforts

The College’s silver ranking will be valid until the next assessment period in 2027.

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