Every April, UCSF has celebrated Earth Day in various ways over the past 20 years. It was EarthFest, the LivingGreen Fair, and the Annual Sustainability Celebration, and now many others across the campus concerned about our environment are putting on their own events to bring awareness to the challenges of climate change, growing waste, water conservation, toxics reduction, equity, and resilience.
This year, honor Earth Month by attending any, and as many as you wish, events dedicated to sustainability and our environment. There's something for everyone.
Earth Month Tip: As you think about your contribution and ways you can mitigate your impact, we encourage you to focus on waste. Find ways to reduce the amount of landfill and recycling waste you produce, and be sure to compost organic matter. Learn to sort waste properly. It matters.
Earth Month Events 2026
Recognize
Give your coworkers a shout-out this Earth Month by highlighting their sustainable actions! You can send thanks to your colleagues through the Recognize platform via MyAccess. Select “Sustainability” under the behavior category of “Employee THANKS.”
Sustainability Bingo
The Earth Month Bingo card contains 24 sustainable actions you can take to improve your environmental footprint during Earth Month. UCSF and UCSF Health Community: black-out your Earth Month bingo card by the end of April for a chance to win a reusable prize package, including beeswax wrap, a Stasher bag, and a Swedish dishcloth!
Send a picture of your blacked-out bingo card along with an image of you completing one of the actions by April 30th and send to healthsustainability@ucsf.edu to be entered into the prize drawing. Only UCSF affiliates are eligible for the prize, however all are encouraged to play!
See details about each action and download the Bingo card.
Get Green Certified
Getting your workspace certified is the best way to get involved with us. Green up your office, lab, events, or clinic/unit.
Represent
Brighten your ZOOM calls while advocating for a better and cleaner environment. Choose from a plethora of sustainability-themed backgrounds.
Clothing Swap! Plus, volunteer to reduce textile waste
April 2nd & 3rd
This community event is dedicated to refreshing wardrobes and reducing textile waste!
Participants are encouraged to donate clothes, shop and partner with SCRAP, an arts education nonprofit, to sort and label donated fabric remnants.
Event Info
Location: Mission Bay
Time: 11AM-1PM
April 20th & 21st
Location: Parnassus
Time: 11AM-1PM
E-Waste Collection Event- Mission Bay Medical Center
April 17
Every month the UCSF Health Sustainability team hosts e-waste collection events to help keep toxic e-waste out of our landfills.
Location: Mission Bay Hospital - A1615 Polycom Conference Room
Time:10-1pm
Register required
Climate Action Youth Summit 2025
April 18
Come visit UCSF's table at this year's Climate Action Youth Summit. This event showcases San Francisco youths’ work by fostering peer-to-peer learning, inspiring other youth, and recognizing the incredible passion, creativity, and innovation around climate action and solutions.
Location: Yerba Buena Gardens, 750 Howard St. San Francisco, CA 94103
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Earth Week Tabling Sessions
April 21-23
The UCSF Health sustainability team is hosting a tabling event. Stop by to learn about the many sustainability efforts at UCSF Health, and pick up one of our new Earth Month stickers!
Mount Zion Cafe: Monday, April 20th 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Hyde Café: Tuesday, April 21, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Moffitt Café (Parnassus): Wednesday, April 22, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Stanyan Café: Wednesday, April 23, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Shorenstein Family Café (Mission Bay): Thursday, April 23, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
E-Waste & Styrofoam Collection Event- Mission Bay Medical Center
April 22
Have E-waste and Styrofoam stored in your office? Dispose of it free of charge through Facilities Services. Time slots will be confirmed by email and you may bring items out to the location during your scheduled time frame. If you cannot move your items yourself, submit a work order to Facilities: http://myfs.ucsf.edu.
Location: Along The Feeney Way (Campus Way) between Genentech Hall and Rutter/Mission Bay Community Center
Time: 10AM-1PM
Registration required
Waste-to-Art Exhibition
April 14
Waste to Art is UCSF’s annual challenge dedicated to transforming waste (including medical and laboratory waste) into incredible and inspiring art pieces.
The challenge has two goals:
- to gather support and active participation from the diverse communities at UCSF and UCSF Health
- to encourage people to reflect on the waste in their practices and think about ways for waste reduction and for transitioning into a more sustainable future.
Timeline of Waste-to-Art Challenge:
March 20: Proof of Concept form due
April 10: Upload a photo of your finished artwork for public voting
April 10-14: Coordinate with us to drop off your artwork
April 14: Waste to Art Exhibition at Mission Hall Lobby from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
April 14: Waste to Art event and award ceremony from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
April 15: Annual Sustainability Celebration at Valley Center for Vision at 3 p.m., where Chancellor Sam Hawgood will recognize the top three artists
UCSF Sustainability Awards Ceremony
April 15
Join us for UCSF’s Annual Sustainability Celebration during Earth Month in April. At the event, student, staff, and faculty sustainability advocates gather to share community achievements, hear remarks from the Chancellor and UCSF leaders, and honor the 2026 UCSF Sustainability Award recipients in a recognition ceremony. Awards will be presented at the Annual Sustainability Celebration at Valley Center for Vision at 3 p.m.
May 8 and May 15
A Grand Excursion in the Name of Science, Health, and Good Company.
Come one, come all! Whether you're a seasoned rider or a novice upon the saddle, join this most social and spirited procession, wherein we will uphold the virtues of sustainability, health, and camaraderie.
Should you, by some misfortune, fail to make this first grand expedition, despair not! Another UCSF Bike Bus will roll on Thursday, May 15th, which, by happy coincidence, is none other than the official Bay Area Bike to Wherever Day. Mark it well!
Location: Departing from Castro & 17th and the Embarcadero (Ferry Building).
Time: Meet at 8:30 am. Roll at 8:45 am.
Event Info
Recology Tour
May 22
Have you ever wondered why certain items belong in the compost, recycling, or landfill? Our waste hauler, Recology, offers tours of their facilities that covers why we sorting is important and how to do it properly. The next tour will take place on May 22. You can find out more on the tours page, and register for the tour on eventbrite or by emailing WasteZeroSF@recology.com.
Location: The John A. Legnitto Environmental Learning Center: 401 Tunnel Avenue San Francisco, CA 94134
Time: 9:30AM-12PM