Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 69.91
Liaison Julie Hopper
Submission Date Dec. 20, 2023

STARS v2.2

University of Southern California
IN-48: Innovation B

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50 Julie Hopper
Data Analyst
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
USC Hotel Green Seal Silver Certification

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
The USC Hotel is the first university-owned lodging property in California to achieve high-level sustainability certification from an independent, national environmental organization called Green Seal.

For this certification, the USC Hotel had a full year of an in-depth audit to meet the requirements of Green Seal’s GS-33 standards for hotels and lodging properties and has since maintained this certification through annual reviews. The USC Hotel has an advanced silver level certification from Green Seal as it meets the requirements for: reduction of waste, water, energy, and pollution; utilizing drought resistant landscaping; leadership operations in sustainability; biodegradable cleaning products; energy efficient appliances such as washers and dryers; and much more.

From 2019 until April 2023, ~ 383,000 plastic bottles have been kept out of landfills, > 5,000 pounds of food has been composted, and the transition to all LED lighting is almost complete. By switching to glassware in guest rooms, 36,000 paper cups are saved every year.

Optional Fields

A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Data Current as of 10/27/23

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.