Three Zeros Initiative Infographic: Zero waste to landfills, net zero water usage, and net zero greenhouse gas emissions Infographic: Water: Since 2000, UNC has reduced its total water consumption by 88 million gallons per year - that's with 7.3 million square feet of campus growth. Since 2000, UNC has reduced drinking water use by 60% per gross square foot. UNC uses about 180 million gallons of reclaimed water per year. Initiative goals: Ensure sustainability of water supply. Reduce drinking water use and increase reclaimed water use. Energy: Since 2003, UNC has reduced energy use nearly 29% per gross square foot. UNC has reduced greenhouse gas emissions 19% since 2008 peak. UNC has 635,671 square feet of LEED certified buildings*. Initiative Goals: Reduce hydrocarbons. Switch to renewable energy. Waste: Per capita waste at UNC has decreased by 12% since 2000. In 2015, UNC diverted 45% of its waste away from the landfill. UNC recovered 4,673 tons of waste material in 2015. Initiative Goals: maximize recycling, reuse and composting. Minimize in-bound materials. 12% of UNC's course offerings address sustainability challenges. *LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices.