We teach communities
how to live sustainably.

Join the movement to create a more sustainable Nashville.

We teach communities
how to live sustainably.

Join the movement to create a more sustainable Nashville.

Urban Green Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that exists to teach communities how to live sustainably in Nashville, TN and its surrounding counties. We envision a Nashville where everyone has access to opportunities for learning about sustainable living.

OUR IMPACT

Classrooms
%
Of educators trained plan to integrate sustainability into their classrooms or programs
Households
UGL Volunteers trained on sustainability and how to share sustainability with family, friends, or neighbors
Workplaces
Organizations engaged to create or improve a culture of learning about sustainability in their workplaces or programs.
Special Initiatives
Stories of Nashvillians facing a changing climate recorded and archived for the Voices of Resilience oral history project

How we work

Training Educators

Women in a black t-shirt facilitates an activity with two people

The Classrooms Division includes the Sustainable Classrooms program.

Recently, the Classrooms Division trained educators from Isaac Litton Middle School teaching them how to bring sustainability into their classrooms and school.

Educating Households

The Households Division includes the UGL Volunteers and Sustainable in the City.

The Households Division recently relaunched Sustainable in the City as a podcast with the Nashville Department of Waste Services. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts.

Woman sitting at a table talking with three other people
Woman sitting at a table talking with three other people

The Households Division includes the UGL Volunteers and Sustainable in the City.

The Households Division recently relaunched Sustainable in the City as a podcast with the Nashville Department of Waste Services. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts.

Coaching Workplaces

Man speaking on a panel

The Workplaces Division includes the Nashville Sustainability Roundtable, Sustainable Workplaces Collaborative, and B Tennessee.

Workplaces Division recently launched a new educational program for Nashville organizations called the Sustainable Workplaces Collaborative.

Exploring Solutions

We explore solutions through our two special initiatives, the Nashville Environmental Justice Initiative and the Nashville Food Waste Initiative.

The Nashville Food Waste Initiative just installed the third mural in our "Waste Less" murals project, which highlights how food is community. The mural was designed and painted by LeAndra Crystal.

IMG_6582
IMG_6582

We explore solutions through our two special initiatives, the Nashville Environmental Justice Initiative and the Nashville Food Waste Initiative.

The Nashville Food Waste Initiative just installed the third mural in our "Waste Less" murals project, which highlights how food is community. The mural was designed and painted by LeAndra Crystal.

Group of people taking a group photo smiling at the camera

The Sustainable Changemakers Collective is more than just a membership program—it's a movement of people committed to transforming Nashville into a culture that values sustainability.

By becoming a member, you're sustaining the work of positive culture change in our city. Plus, members enjoy exclusive benefits like discounts to local businesses and VIP experiences at events.

Program Participant Testimonials

“It makes me happy that there is such a community of inspired people with the goal of making Nashville more sustainable on an individual and community level.”

- Maria Morales, UGL Volunteer

2024 annual report

For more information on our organization, programs, and impact, read our 2024 Annual Report.

UGL EVENTS

An Intimate Evening with Lydia Luce & Emily Hackett

Join us for a magical night of storytelling, harmony, and purpose. This intimate concert supports Urban Green Lab, a local nonprofit teaching communities how to live sustainably every day.

Learn More
photo collage of people/participants in Voices of Resilience, a Nashville Environmental Justice Initiative Story Archive

Voices Of Resilience: A Community Conversation

Join us at Tennessee State University’s Brown-Daniels Library for a time of connection and deep listening. Come experience some of the ‘Voices’ as they team up for a panel discussion to share more about being Nashvillians on the front lines of a shifting climate.

Learn More

THE UGL BLOG

three people with their backs facing the camera pointing at a large mural that says food is our past, present, and future

Waste Less, Paint More: How Public Art is Sparking a Food Waste Reduction Movement Across U.S. Cities

October 1, 2025

Public art has the power to grab attention, spark reflection, and bring big ideas into everyday spaces. That’s the goal of the Waste Less Mural Cohort-a national movement using murals […]

Read More

Sustainable Gifting Guide

November 7, 2024

Less is more this holiday season. Read how to celebrate sustainably, and check out our sustainable gifting guide for gift recommendations.

Read More
Four people laughing and talking with drinks in their hand

Savor the Season Sustainably

October 30, 2024

Each quarter, our UGL Volunteers in Nashville learn and discuss sustainability, and this quarter we are talking about sustainable holidays. This blog is an excerpt of content shared with our UGL Volunteers.

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UGL News

man in a straw hat with a ventilator mask around his neck standing in front of a primed mural wall

Woke3 to Create Newest Waste Less Mural at Nashville Farmers’ Market

June 6, 2025

Nashville Farmers’ Market, Urban Green Lab and the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville have partnered on a grant-funded opportunity to bring awareness to food waste and sustainability practices […]

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Urban Green Lab to Receive $10,000 Challenge America Award from the National Endowment for the Arts

January 14, 2025

Urban Green Lab to receive $10,000 Challenge America Award from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the Waste Less mural project.

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Two woman talk at a party

Urban Green Lab Celebrates 15th Anniversary

December 17, 2024

Urban Green Lab celebrates its 15th anniversary as a nonprofit teaching Nashville communities how to live sustainably.

Read More
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