Located on UCD’s scenic woodland campus in Belfield, UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub is more than just a green space… it’s a dynamic centre for sustainable innovation, community engagement, and hands-on learning.
Halloween 2025 at the UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub
UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub serves multiple purposes throughout the year, adapting to the needs of the UCD community. During Halloween 2025, for instance, the space came alive as students, staff, and faculty members of the Innovation Academy gathered in creative costumes — from ghouls and wizards to dinosaurs — celebrating the season in this unique outdoor venue.
These community events demonstrate how sustainability spaces can foster connection while maintaining their environmental mission.
Members of the UCD community at the UCD Greenacre hub for Halloween
What is a sustainability hub?
A sustainability hub is a dedicated space where environmental innovation meets practical action. It’s where theory transforms into practice, and where communities come together to experiment with sustainable solutions to real-world challenges.
UCD Greenacre Hub operates as a site for sustainable food production, circular economy practices and most importantly, learning and connection. Once a traditional market garden, this living, breathing green acre now serves as a resource for both learning and nourishment. The hub’s current projects focus on:
- Circular food systems that minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency
- Innovative food production techniques that work in harmony with natural systems
- Waste reduction strategies that turn byproducts into valuable resources
- Resource recovery initiatives, including our onsite Precious Plastics Innovation Centre
- Outdoor learning, and all of the mental and physical benefits it brings, in UCD’s first outdoor classroom
What sets Greenacre apart is its role as both a showcase and an incubator. The hub highlights the many sustainability initiatives already underway across UCD while serving as a testing ground for new ideas.
How can I create my own sustainability hub?
The sustainability hub movement is growing, and starting your own is more accessible than you might think. Here’s how to begin:
Start with your space.
You don’t need acres of land. Community gardens, unused courtyards, rooftops, or even small plots can become sustainability hubs. Assess what’s available and consider how it could serve multiple purposes.
Define your focus.
Will your hub emphasize food production, waste reduction, renewable energy, biodiversity, or a combination? For example, the Greenacre Hub currently includes circular food systems and plastics recovery, but your priorities should reflect your community’s needs and interests.
Build your community.
A sustainability hub thrives on collaboration. Identify potential partners: educational institutions, local businesses, environmental organisations, policymakers, and community members. Create channels for regular communication and shared decision-making.
Design for learning.
Make your hub an educational resource. Incorporate demonstration projects, workshops, and hands-on opportunities. Document your successes and failures—both are valuable teaching tools.
Start small, think big.
Begin with manageable pilot projects that can demonstrate impact quickly. A small composting operation or herb garden can build momentum for larger initiatives. Use early successes to attract support and resources for expansion.
Embrace experimentation.
Not every initiative will succeed, and that’s okay. Sustainability hubs are laboratories for testing ideas. Create a culture where innovation is encouraged and learning from setbacks is valued.
Connect with existing networks.
Join sustainability hub networks, attend conferences, and learn from established initiatives. The collective knowledge of the movement can accelerate your progress and help you avoid common pitfalls.
If you think all of that is a lot of work, you’re also very welcome to volunteer for the ongoing projects and events of UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub!
Can I book the sustainability hub for events?
If you’re a member of the UCD community, we’d love to hear from you. You can use UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub for society events or other school-related activities.
Simply email us at innovation.academy@ucd.ie with a simple blurb about your proposed event, your suggested dates and times, and we’ll send the next steps.
You can also attend events and other workshops happening in UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub by following the UCD Innovation Academy and UCD Sustainability on their social media accounts.
We hope to see you there!