UC Davis Health’s reusable flatware initiative is entering its final phase for 2025, with a few more opportunities for staff, students and faculty to pick up a free utensil kit and join the effort to reduce single-use plastic waste.

Final distribution dates:

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.

Originally published by UC Davis Health 

The United States Resiliency Council has awarded UC Davis Health with platinum resiliency recognition for Parking Structure 4 (PS4).

The designation means that in case of a seismic event, PS4 has the ability to “right-size” itself, limiting damage. In most cases, PS4 will also be able to be reoccupied immediately following the activity.