→ WASTE LESS HARVEST FEST: 5th Anniversary Mural Launch, Chili Cook-Off, Food Drive for The Store + live music! Oct 24, 11am-2pm, Turnip Truck East, 701 Woodland St. Details | Enter the Cook-Off →
Sustainability isn't a destination - it's a practice. It lives in classrooms, neighborhoods, workplaces, and kitchens. We're here to make sure every corner of Nashville has access to it.
Sustainability isn't a destination — it's a practice. It lives in classrooms, neighborhoods, workplaces, and kitchens. We're here to make sure every corner of Nashville has access to it.
HOW WE WORK
If you'd like to know how it all connects, check out our new five-year strategic plan "Living Sustainably Together".
If you'd like to know how it all connects, check out our new five-year strategic plan "Living Sustainably Together".
OUR IMPACT, SO FAR
*Numbers reflect our 2025 baseline.
ENLISTING CHANGEMAKERS
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.
TESTIMONIALS
"Overall, teaching sustainability helps my students become responsible global citizens. They are able to consider the long-term consequences and outcomes of their actions to make better decisions, becoming better knowledgeable individuals in their life stages.”
- Carlos Calderón, Sustainable Classrooms Educator
"The Roundtable opened our eyes and helped us come to know other like-minded businesses in Nashville that care about how business gets done. There's business as usual, and then there are those who come to the Sustainability Roundtable to see how it can be done, factoring in true social responsibility."
- Greg Crofton, Nashville Sustainability Roundtable Member
“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
UGL EVENTS
Food Waste Prevention Trivia Night
Grab your friends, your curiosity, and maybe a few fun facts about food waste: it’s trivia night at Bongo East!
Green Sports Day Community Clean Up Event
Join the Nashville Sustainable Sports Alliance, Urban Green Lab, Recycle Reinvest, and Justice Industries for a morning of community harvest prep at Napier Community Garden in honor of Green Sports Day 2026.
Voices of Resilience Community Launch and Potluck Reception at West End United Methodist Church
Voices of Resilience — the traveling multimedia exhibit centering the stories of those most impacted by climate change, often first and hardest — makes its next tour stop at West End United Methodist Church on August 30th.
THE UGL BLOG
Adopt-A-Cafeteria: How Nashville Is Keeping Lunch Out of the Landfill
Every year, Nashville school cafeterias send an estimated 10 million pounds of food to the landfill. Adopt-A-Cafeteria, an initiative by Urban Green Lab, is working to change that by connecting […]
Connecting the Dots on Food Waste
In the food waste conversation, connecting the dots is the whole game. It’s hard to fathom the extent of food waste in Nashville. The facts are staggering, almost daunting in […]
Beyond the Pixels: A Geospatial Look at Urban Heat
On June 29, 2026, at 8:30 AM, an urgent email flashed across the screens of everyone at Tennessee State University (TSU). The subject line: severe heat. The forecast predicted temperatures […]
UGL IN THE NEWS
Urban Green Lab to Receive $10,000 Challenge America Award from the National Endowment for the Arts
Urban Green Lab to receive $10,000 Challenge America Award from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the Waste Less mural project.
Urban Green Lab Co-Hosts Climate Week Cook-Off with 1 Hotel
Urban Green Lab co-hosts Climate Week Cook-Off in Nashville with 1 Hotel to showcase the connection between food waste and the climate.
Nissan North America Donates Electric Vehicle to Urban Green Lab
Nissan North America has donated a fully electric 2023 Nissan LEAF to Urban Green Lab (UGL), continuing its support for UGL’s mission of teaching communities to live sustainably.