The UC Davis Health Grounds team is rethinking how weeds are managed on the Sacramento campus – with sustainability, safety, and health at the center of their work.

In alignment with UC systemwide Integrated Pest Management (IPM) guidance, the department is shifting away from synthetic herbicides and toward piloting strategies that create healthier spaces for patients, families, staff, and visitors.

The Grounds team’s evolving approach includes:

Since the launch of UC Davis Health’s reusable flatware program earlier this month, more than 2,500 utensil kits have already been distributed at Scrubs Café tabling events. Each two-hour session has drawn steady lines of staff, faculty, and students eager to replace single-use plastics with durable, reusable utensils.

Scrubs Café in the Education Building and Nourish Café at the 48X Complex have launched a program aimed at reducing single-use plastic waste by eliminating disposable flatware. Join the effort in reducing waste by bringing your own reusable utensils! You’ll receive a discount at the Scrubs Café when you show your reusable utensil and purchase an item that requires use of a utensil. Discounts are currently not available at the Nourish Café.

View accessible PDF version: UC_Toolkit_Extreme_Heat_0.pdf

High temperatures can create serious health risks for people, especially if they are engaged in physical activities—even routine walking or gardening outside. A person’s age and health status, such as the presence of lung, heart, or kidney disease, and their hydration status, can influence our natural body-cooling processes.

As Earth Month comes to a close, UC Davis Health reflects on a year marked by progress in environmental sustainability. Through innovations in energy, waste reduction, transportation, purchasing, water reduction, design and construction and clinical care, the health system has demonstrated a strong, ongoing commitment to advancing both human and planetary health—one impactful step at a time.

Here is a look at how UC Davis Health is building a more sustainable and resilient future for our campus and community, starting with national and global firsts.

The second UC Davis Health Sustainability Summit, held on February 12, 2025, explored strategies to reduce the organization’s environmental impact and highlighted recent successes across the health system.

With nearly 100 participants in attendance, speakers from the departments of emergency medicine, radiology, campus planning and grounds, and the Clinical Practice Council brought a holistic view of reducing waste, lowering water and energy use, and improving resilience to climate hazards.

Nikunj is a final year Masters student in the Energy Graduate Group at UC Davis. He holds an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. His research focuses on industrial decarbonization and eliminating the use of fossil fuels. He is also a Bonnie Reiss Climate Action Fellow for Decarbonization, helping UC Davis Sustainability in developing and improving their Scope 3 Emission calculation methods.

In Fall 2024, the “Sustainable Aggies” First Year Aggie Connection, or FYAC, conducted a mini-waste audit of the Segundo residence halls at UC Davis. The results were eye-opening: of the 22.1 pounds of waste audited, less than 25% was actually landfill-destined. Instead, 44% of the waste consisted of recyclable materials, and 32% was compostable.

Nearly a decade ago, campus leaders at UC Davis decided to invest in a small team of employees to reduce energy by optimizing building controls and systems. The concept was that UC Davis could fund such a team, if it could curb high utility bills — essentially having the team pay for itself with energy savings.