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About Naropa › Purpose, Vision, Mission, and Values › Sustainability › Recycling and Zero Waste

Recycling and Zero Waste

Naropa University’s Zero Waste goal is to mindfully support the university in being a sustainable system where resources are fully used and waste is reduced to a minimum. Naropa currently boasts an 80% diversion rate, thanks in large part to the campus-wide recycling and compost bins located in all common areas of all buildings and exterior space.
Waste program
Zero waste

Recycling

Composting

  • Composting bins at all campuses in all common areas
  • 100% of landscaping waste is either composted on-site or locally
  • On-site compost is returned to the campus as fertilizer
  • All Snow Lion residents are provided with kitchen composting bins
  • The Naropa Cafés, operated by the local non-profit organization Bridge House, either compost what little food waste they produce or use the unbought food to feed the homeless population at their main kitchen location off-campus

Naropa Seed Library

Visit the Naropa Seed Library and start planting today. Located in the SUN Office on the Arapahoe Campus (near the cafe).

What is the Seed Library?
The Seed Library is home to a collection of seeds that you can take home and grow in your garden. This is a free service available to Naropa students, faculty, staff and alumni.
How does it work?

The Seed Library is located just off the Pamela Krasney Pavilion in the Student Union of Naropa (SUN) office. After selecting your seed packets, we’ll ask you to fill out a short and simple form.

How do I check the seeds out?

You don’t need to “check out” the seeds like you would check out a library book. Take what you need, fill out the form, plant your garden, and come back for more.

Do I need to return or donate seeds?

Our Seed Library is a lending library, so happily accept donations from “open-pollinated, heirloom, and/or locally-saved seeds.”

What kind of seeds do you have?

The seeds in our collection are easy to grow and great for beginners. They’re also seasonal and replenished regularly throughout the semester.

Zero Waste Training at Naropa

As part of compliance with the new Zero Waste Ordinance in Boulder County, the Office for Sustainability and Eco-Cycle staff offer regular zero waste trainings for staff, faculty and students. For more information or to schedule a zero waste training for your class or department, please email sustainability@naropa.edu

Map of Zero Waste Stations at Arapahoe

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About Naropa

Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion. 

Academics

Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.  

Admissions & Aid

If you’re seeking an education that resonates with both personal fulfillment and global impact, Naropa could be your top choice. At Naropa, you will experience a comprehensive curriculum that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational approaches. Explore how Naropa can fuel your journey of intellectual and spiritual development.

Life at Naropa

Through its incredibly vibrant and welcoming community,  “Naropa offers a home for those who aren’t willing to conform to convention—the mystic, the healer, the prophet, the rebel, the artist, the revolutionary, the oddball—those who are incredible contributors to the evolution of society and of our planet.”—Core Associate Professor Zvi Ish-Shalom

The Naropa Difference

How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person. 

Support Naropa

At a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, Naropa University stands firmly rooted in its mission to create a more just and regenerative world by nurturing insight, awareness, courage, and compassion in its students. By making a gift to Naropa, you play a pivotal role in helping to create the authentic, effective & mindful leaders that the world desperately needs.

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Naropa University campuses are closed on 12/17/2025. 

Due to adverse weather conditions of high winds and planned power outages, all Naropa campuses will be closed today. 

 

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Spring and Summer Start Dates for the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentrations

In support of students and in response to federal legislation impacting financial aid for graduate students, Naropa University will be accepting applications for MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling for spring starts through January 10.

Graduate School of Counseling concentrations listed below will be offering online and low-residency courses to start their programs in January 2026 as well as our Summer 2026 terms.

Beginning a graduate program in Spring 2026 or Summer 2026 means that you will have access to apply for Graduate Plus loans as these loans will be eliminated at the federal level starting in Fall 2026.

Contact Admissions (admissions@naropa.edu) today to learn how you can begin the next step in your graduate education journey.

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