2024-25
2425
FY2025 SUSTAINABILITY ANNUAL REPORT
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System (STARS).
GEORGIA STATE RECEIVES STARS SILVER
GEORGIA STATE RECEIVES STARS SILVER RATING
GEORGIA STATE RECEIVES STARS SILVER RATING
In May of 2025, Georgia State University received a Silver rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). STARS is a self-reporting framework for institutions of higher education to evaluate their sustainability performance across all facets of their institution, including academics, engagement, innovation, leadership, operations, and planning. GSU’s STARS Silver rating is valid until 2028.
May of 2025, Georgia State University received a Silver rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System (STARS). STARS is a self-reporting framework for institutions of higher education to evaluate their sustainability performance across all facets of their institution, including academics, engagement, innovation, leadership, operations, and planning. GSU’s STARS Silver rating is valid until 2028.
In May of 2025, Georgia State University received a Silver rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System (STARS).
In May of 2025, Georgia State University received a Silver rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System (STARS). STARS is a self-reporting framework for institutions of higher education to evaluate their sustainability performance across all facets of their institution, including academics, engagement, innovation, leadership, operations, and planning. GSU’s STARS Silver rating is valid until 2028.
STARS is a self-reporting framework for institutions of higher education to evaluate their sustainability performance across all facets of their institution, including academics, engagement, innovation, leadership, operations, and planning. GSU’s STARS Silver rating is valid until 2028.
PANTHERDINING RECEIVES NACUFS
PANTHERDINING RECEIVES NACUFS SUSTAINABILITY GRAND PRIZE
STARS is a self-reporting framework for institutions of higher education to evaluate their sustainability performance across all facets of their institution, including academics, engagement, innovat operations, and planning. GSU’s STARS Silver rating is valid until 2028.
SUSTAINABILITY
PANTHERDINING RECEIVES NACUFS SUSTAINABILITY GRAND PRIZE
PANTHERDINING RECEIVES NACUFS SUSTAINABILITY GRAND PRIZE
In July of 2025, PantherDining received a Gold Award in Waste Reduction and the Grand Prize in Sustainability from the National Association of College and University Food Services for their work across the program to reduce food waste. PantherDining reduces waste by composting food scraps, sending spent cooking oil to be turned into biodiesel, leveraging back of house insights from LeanPath, -usable containers tagged by the Fill It Forward system to measure and increase return rate, and deploying “Raccoon Eyes,” an AI food waste analysis system at dining halls that tracks food waste by scanning dirty plates.
PANTHERDINING RECEIVES NACUFS SUSTAINABILITY GRAND PRIZE
In July of 2025, PantherDining received a Gold Award in Waste Reduction and the Grand Prize in Sustainability from the National Association of College and University Food Services for their work across the program to reduce food waste. PantherDining reduces waste by composting food scraps, sending spent cooking oil to be turned into biodiesel, leveraging back of house insights from LeanPath, distributing re-usable containers tagged by the Fill It Forward system to measure and increase return rate, and deploying “Raccoon Eyes,” an AI food waste analysis system at dining halls that tracks food waste by scanning dirty plates.
EYES” FOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
In July of 2025, PantherDining received a Gold Award in Waste Reduction and the Grand Prize in Sustainability from the National Association of College and University Food Services for their work across the program to reduce food waste. PantherDining reduces waste by composting food scraps, sending spent cooking oil to be turned into biodiesel, leveraging back of house insights from LeanPath, -usable containers tagged by the Fill It Forward system to measure and increase return rate, and deploying “Raccoon Eyes,” an AI food waste analysis system at dining halls that tracks food waste by scanning dirty plates.
In July of 2025, PantherDining received a Gold Award in Waste Reduction and Grand Prize in Sustainability from the National Association of College and University Food Services for their work across the program to reduce food waste. PantherDining reduces waste by composting food scraps, sending spent cooking to be turned into biodiesel, leveraging back of house insights from LeanPath, distributing re-usable containers tagged by the Fill It Forward system to measure and increase return rate, and deploying “Raccoon Eyes,” an AI food waste analysis system at dining halls that tracks food waste by scanning dirty plates.
In July of 2025, PantherDining received a Gold Award Grand Prize in Sustainability from the National Association University Food Services for their work across the PantherDining reduces waste by composting food to be turned into biodiesel, leveraging back of house distributing re-usable containers tagged by the Fill and increase return rate, and deploying “Raccoon system at dining halls that tracks food waste by scanning
ABC NEWS COVERS GEORGIA STATE’S “RACCOON EYES” FOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
ABC NEWS COVERS GEORGIA STATE’S “RACCOON EYES” FOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
In December of 2024, Director of Sustainability Jennifer Wilson and student assistant Erin Murphy were featured on ABC News in a segment discussing the AI food waste management system “Raccoon Eyes,” which scans plates for discarded food and tracks which food is wasted the most. Georgia State was the first university to use Raccoon Eyes in production; in its first semester of use in Fall 2023, GSU reduced food waste by 23%.
ABC NEWS COVERS GEORGIA STATE’S “RACCOON EYES” FOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
December of 2024, Director of Sustainability Jennifer Wilson and student assistant Erin Murphy were featured on ABC News in a segment discussing the AI food waste management system “Raccoon Eyes,” which scans plates for discarded food and tracks which food is wasted the most. Georgia State was the first university to use Raccoon in production; in its first semester of use in Fall 2023, GSU reduced food waste by 23%.
In December of 2024, Director of Sustainability Jennifer Wilson and student assistant Erin Murphy were featured on ABC News in a segment discussing the AI food waste management system “Raccoon Eyes,” which scans plates for discarded food and tracks which food is wasted the most. Georgia State was the first university to use Raccoon Eyes in production; in its first semester of use in Fall 2023, GSU reduced food waste by 23%.
ABC NEWS COVERS GEORGIA STATE’S “RACCOON EYES” FOOD WASTE
PERIMETER COLLEGE RECEIVES NATIONAL BEE CAMPUS + TREE CAMPUS CERTIFICATIONS
In December of 2024, Director of Sustainability Jennifer Wilson and student assistant Erin Murphy were featured on ABC News in a segment discussing the AI food waste management system “Raccoon ,” which scans plates for discarded food and tracks which food is wasted the most. Georgia State was one of the the first universities Raccoon Eyes in production; in its first semester of use, GSU reduced food waste by 23%
In December of 2024, Director of Sustainability Jennifer Wilson and student assistant Erin Murphy were featured on ABC News in a segment discussing the AI food waste management system “Raccoon Eyes,” which scans plates for discarded food and tracks which food is wasted the most. Georgia State was the first university to use Raccoon Eyes in production; in its first semester of use in Fall 2023, GSU reduced food waste by 23%.
Two Perimeter College campuses received national certifications for their commitment to advancing gardens and greenspaces. The Decatur Campus received a Bee Campus certification in October of 2024 from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and the Clarkston Campus received a Tree Campus Higher Education certification in January of 2025 from the Arbor Day Foundation.
PERIMETER COLLEGE RECEIVES NATIONAL BEE CAMPUS + TREE CAMPUS CERTIFICATIONS
PERIMETER COLLEGE RECEIVES NATIONAL BEE CAMPUS + TREE CAMPUS CERTIFICATIONS
PERIMETER COLLEGE RECEIVES NATIONAL BEE CAMPUS + TREE CAMPUS CERTIFICATIONS
Two Perimeter College campuses received national certifications for their commitment to advancing gardens and greenspaces. The Decatur Campus received a Bee Campus certification in October of 2024 from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and the Clarkston Campus received a Tree Campus Higher Education certification in January of 2025 from the Arbor Day Foundation.
Two Perimeter College campuses received national certifications for their commitment to advancing gardens and greenspaces. The Decatur Campus received a Bee Campus certification in October of 2024 from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and the Clarkston Campus received a Tree Campus Higher Education certification in January of 2025 from the Arbor Day Foundation.
Two Perimeter College campuses received national certifications for their commitment to advancing gardens and greenspaces. The Decatur Campus received a Bee Campus certification in October of 2024 from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and the Clarkston Campus received a Tree Campus Higher Education certification in January of 2025 from the Arbor Day Foundation
PERIMETER COLLEGE RECEIVES NATIONAL BEE CAMPUS + TREE CAMPUS
Two Perimeter College campuses received for their commitment to advancing Decatur Campus received a Bee Campus
ABC NEWS COVERS GEORGIA STATE’S “RACCOON
4,715
13%
YEAR-OVER-YEAR REDUCTION IN FOOD WASTE AT PIEDMONT CENTRAL
Food & Dining
$46k+ SAVED IN FOOD WASTE
66k+ FOOD WASTE TRACKED
855k+ PLATES SCANNED
Throughout the 2024–2025 school year, our Food & Dining interns monitored food waste data and student feedback from Raccoon Eyes and conducted experiments in an attempt to lower waste of certain food items. The most successful experiment was changing the portion sizing of the scoop used for fruit, which immediately caused a >50% decrease in fruit wasted and turned fruit from a consistently top-5 most w asted item to a footnote in our food waste data.
Throughout the 2024–2025 school year, our Food & Dining interns monitored food waste data and student feedback from Raccoon Eyes and conducted experiments in an attempt to lower waste of certain food items. Through this partnership, GSU reduced food waste 23% overall and by 60%+ across each of the following food categories: fruit, burger slider, and reuben sandwiches.
Throughout the 2024–2025 school year, our Food & Dining interns monitored food waste data and student feedback from Raccoon Eyes and conducted experiments in an attempt to lower waste of certain food items. The most successful experiment was changing the portion sizing of the scoop used for fruit, which immediately caused a >50% decrease in fruit wasted and turned fruit from a consistently top-5 most w asted item to a footnote in our food waste data.
Waste at Piedmont Central, Spring 2024 vs. Spring 2025
Food Waste at Piedmont Central, Spring 2024 vs. Spring 2025 (pounds of food wasted per week)
13% YEAR-OVER-YEAR REDUCTION IN FOOD WASTE AT PIEDMONT CENTRAL $46,000+ SAVED IN FOOD WASTE 66,831 LBS. OF FOOD WASTE TRACKED
855,747 PLATES SCANNED
Events & Outreach
ACROSS 3 INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS
51 EVENTS
6,328 ENGAGED
6 VOLUNTEER EVENTS
GREENSPACES
COLLEGE-TO-CAREER GREENSPACES
GREAT SOUTHEAST POLLINATOR CENSUS TREES ATLANTA PLANTING @ DECATUR
NATIVE PLANTING W/ DR. BRIDGET BLAKE
GEORGIA ARBOR DAY @ ATLANTA
Gardens & Greenspaces 6
Volunteer
Events:
161
Total Volunteers
85 Trees Planted
• Great SE Pollinator Census
• Trees Atlanta Planting @ Decatur
• Native Planting w/ Dr. Bridget Blake
• Georgia Arbor Day @Atlanta
• Georgia Arbor Day @ Clarkston
• Alternative Spring Break
140 Native Plants Planted
1,086 Trees Inventoried
8 Office Initiatives
• Bee Campus
• Energy
• Food Waste
• PantherSwap
• Recycling
• Reporting
• Social Media
• Tree Campus
CARBON FOOTPRINT
Total: 116,063.27 MtCO2e
GEORGIA COMMUTE OPTIONS
Download MyGCO for resources and earn rewards for choosing an alternative commute. Plan trips and find rides with students to get discounts and deals.
MtCO2e per student MtCO2e - METRIC TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EQUIVALENT
A green house gas inventory calculates the environmental impact of a university’s operations and activities. The data is standardized into one unit, metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), which allows GSU to determine which sources are emitting the most and where improvements can be made.
5
WAYS TO LESSON YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
• Turn lights off when leaving
• Unplug devices when not using
• Reduce water consumption
• Switch to a plant-rich diet
• Alternative transportation: Ride share, MARTA, biking
FOOD FOOTPRINT
Total: 4,838.104 MtCO2e
2
Student Clubs Supported 18k
Liters in Water Savings Identified
9
Interdepartmental Collaborations
50+
Faculty Attendance at Sustainability X Curriculum W’shop
62k+
Disposable Food Containers Kept Out of Landfill
9k In Energy Rebates Secured
1,515