If you want to green your campus, have an impact on student life and leave a sustainable legacy at the U, ECO Agency is for you! Follow @sgecoagency to learn about ECO Agency, and ECO reps tabling events.

Founded in 2012, ECO Agency is the umbrella organization under Student Government that promotes sustainable living on campus. It includes the ECO Board, its affiliated Committees (Waste Diversion, Conservation, Outreach...), and the Housing ECO Reps. You have a project for UM to become more sustainable? Your idea could help us reduce our carbon footprint, enhance our waste diversion programs, or start an educational campaign! If your application qualifies, your project could be eligible for funding. Contact ECO Agency Chair: Margaret Todd, at mct136@earth.miami.edu 

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  • Connect with ECO

    APPLY to ECO NOW!

    Green event sponsorship
    Student Government ECO Agency is proud to offer co-sponsorship to student organizations. Information about co-sponsorship processes may be found in each group’s specific application.

    Canes Food Pantry
    The 'Canes Community Food Pantry is run by student employees. You can find the Food Pantry in Lakeside Village Room 1054, which is behind Lobby A, outside, and facing the fountain. Any student, faculty, or staff member may stop by during hours of operation to receive items.

    Canes Resale
    During Spring Move out, donate your lightly used appliances and dorm supplies to the Canes Resale Program (mini-fridges, microwaves, TVs, lamps, mirrors...). Instead of leaving them behind or tossing them, give those items a second life and support a greener campus initiative!

    ECO Reps
    Become an ECO Rep! Start helping your fellow residents on environmental issues like waste reduction, energy and water conservation.

    Earth Month
    ECO sponsors a myriad of events during the month of April. From panels, workshops, community plantings, to concerts and the U Earth Day Fair, April is ECO's month!

    Roadmap to Plastic Free Canes
    The resolution and roadmap supported by ECO and passed by the Student Government Senate in 2020, allows progress reported on plastic waste reduction goals at the U.

    Watch the UMX video - Sustainable Living Tips at the U

  • ECO at a glance

    APPLY to ECO NOW!

    RECENT ECO PROJECTS

    Summer 2025

    Students can now study outside, under the shade of the ECO Solar Haven. This solar charging table can power 8 laptops and 8 mobile phones. It is located next to the entrance of the Cox Science building. The Solar Haven was sponsored by the Student Government ECO Agency. Learn more

    2024-25

    Glass 4 Life Recycling
    Collect your glass bottles and jars, and dispose of them safely in the secured Glass 4 Life cart located next to the Ozzi machine at the Mahoney Pearson Dining Hall. 

    Free detergent sheets 
    Be more gentle on the Earth when washing your clothes: Use Generation Conscious detergent sheets instead of buying bulky plastic containers! 

    Ozzi Reuse 
    UM Dining is bringing reusable OZZI take-out containers to the dining halls! Purchase your $7 OZZI container from the cashier in either dining hall, fill it with your favorite foods, and take your meal to-go.

    Solar arrays
    The University of Miami is going solar! The Student Government ECO Agency has sponsored two solar arrays on campus, one on top of the Food Court, and one at the Fieldhouse building.

    Butterfly gardens
    In the last 3 years, ECO sponsored 3 butterfly gardens, one along the path in front of Canes Central, another one behind Knight Physics, and one in partnership with Fairchild BTG in front of the Campos Sano bulding.

    Grow Walls
    ECO has installed 3 hydroponics Grow Walls on campus, one at the Richter Library, one at the UC Lounge and one in the Abess Center lobby.

    Solar charging bench
    ECO installed a Solar Bench in the Gifford Arboretum where students can charge their phone while resting or meditating next to the Sustainability Garden.

     

    RECENT PROGRAMS

    Get Green App
    Live green, collect "leaves" and win prizes with the Get Green App: The Get Green App drives climate action by engaging the campus community in sustainable behavior.

    U Conserve 
    U Conserve contest in residential colleges: ECO Reps, the housing branch of ECO Agency launched an Energy Saving contest, running from October 1 to October 31.

  • Meet ECO's Executive Board

    2025-26

    ECO Agency Chair: Margaret Todd, at mct136@earth.miami.edu 

    Margaret is a senior majoring in Oceanography with minors in Meteorology and Geospatial Technology. From Washington, D.C., she grew up exploring the nature preserves near her home, which inspired her commitment to environmental conservation. She joined ECO as a freshman on the Social Justice Subcommittee, served as Outreach Chair in spring 2024, and was Internal Vice President for the 2024–2025 academic year.

    Passionate about activism and education, Margaret loves working with people and empowering others to care for the environment. She plans to begin her career doing hands-on environmental work for several years, then transition into environmental policy through law or consulting.

     

     

    Sydney Loebach - Internal Vice-Chair

    I am a senior from North Carolina pursuing a B.S. in Ecosystem Science and Policy and a B.A. in Marine Affairs. Throughout my time at UM I’ve gotten to work with ECO Agency’s Conservation Ecology and Facilities subcommittees, as well as GreenU’s sustainability programs. As ECO’s Internal Vice President, I’m excited to continue to expand my impact on our campus through the organization’s outreach, advocacy, and environmental initiatives. Beyond graduation, I hope to bring my experience and passion for the planet into a career surrounding climate solutions.

     

     

    Zachary Hopkins - Treasurer

    Zachary is a sophomore from Indiana currently studying Marine Affairs with a minor in Ecosystem Science and Policy. He aspires to be an environmental lawyer and works as a regional inventory manager at Volkswagen. As a sustainability programs intern at GreenU, he works to advocate and increase engagement for various sustainability activities across campus, orchestrate said events, and ensure the University of Miami campus and buildings aim for the highest sustainability certifications. Also involved in ECO Agency and Presidents 100, Zachary has plenty of practice brainstorming, implementing, and showing off ways that UMiami can outperform colleges when it comes to being as pro-environment as possible and setting the path for others to follow so that collectively, everyone can be more sustainable. 

     

     

    Peter Kellogg - Extrenal Vice-Chair

    Peter graduates this December with a B.S. in Ecosystem Science and Policy & minor in Economics. He finishes his two year history with ECO Agency as external vice chair. His favorite memories from ECO have been co-organizing  the 2024 and 2025 Earth Day Fair, traveling to Anaheim California for the 2024 AASHE conference and attending a Miami-Dade County commission hearing along fellow ECO members concerning the proposal of a environmentally hazardous waste incineration plant. 

  • 2014-2019

    High Water Line Project- Sea Level Rise (ECO) (2014)

    “On November 12th, ECO brought the UM’s Head of Geology, Dr. Wanless to speak about sea level rise. As an expert, he has been featured on CNN and Rolling Stone about the future dangers for Miami. From November 18-21, Green Team and ECO Board have been working to bring awareness on sea level rise. A stark chalk line was drawn all around campus to show which areas would be 6 feet under water in 80 years” 

    Kill-A-Watt Energy Saving Competition (2014)

    Kill-A-Watt Energy Saving Competition was an energy saving competition that took place between residential colleges in 2014. $648, 6,483 Kilowatt-hours and 8,740 pounds of carbon dioxide were saved during the competition. 

    Reuse store (ECO) (2014)

    The ReUse Store was a place where students could donate clothes, books, furniture, appliances, etc. or pick up the donated items for free. All left over items were donated to Goodwill.

     

    Climate Change: What lies ahead? ⇒ Panel Discussion for COP 21 (2015)  

    The panel “Climate Change: What lies ahead?” served as a first hand report of the Climate Change Summit (COP21). The objective of the evening was to focus on climate change, the impacts of the COP21 negotiations in South Florida and the involvement of local communities.  

    Take Back the Tap Campaign for World Water Day (2017)

    The take back the tap campaign for World Water Day set out to show students how to conserve water. Students were either given shower timers or low flow shower heads. The community learned how to collect rainwater and the impact of local Coca Cola projects.

    Coffee ground for plants (2018)

    In 2018, Student Government ECO, Green U and UM Dining began their Coffee Grounds 4 Plants program. To this day, they work to pick up coffee grounds from Starbucks to use as soil amendment in the UM sustainable garden at the Gifford Arboretum. Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buKE-h5SGGo

     

    ECO Earth Week Banquet (2018)

    During Earth Week 2018, ECO hosted an Earth Week Banquet. The banquet consisted of a presentation from the Climate Monitor TV, ECO Reps recognition ceremony and screening of “The Burden- Fossil Fuel, the Military and National Security”

     

    ECO sponsored the Green Athletics Conference (2018)

    In 2018, ECO Agency sponsored the Green Athletics Conference. The conference focused on allowing students to learn  from the professional sport world on how to make collegiate sports socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. From energy/water conservation, fans engagement, waste diversion or eco-friendly apparels, sustainability is a win-win for collegiate sports stakeholders.

    eco PM guide

    Student Government - Student Organization Resources

For ECO events calendar, follow @sgecoagency

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