ESWcon23 - November 8-12, 2023

Our first in-person conference since 2019, ESWcon23, took place November 9-12, 2023 at Cornell University.

Engineers for a Sustainable World’s Annual Conference (ESWcon) brings together the brightest minds in sustainability, design, and engineering to find solutions to the world's toughest environmental challenge.

Design Challenge

We believe in the power of doing.

We want to make the most of the fact that we will have some of the brightest minds in sustainability in the same room. That is why we host an annual Design Challenge and task our attendees with engineering solutions to big environmental problems. 

Each year, it’s a surprise up until the day of the event. This year, groups were challenged to address community-level recycling/sorting issues with plastics by:

  • Designing a more efficient sorting bin that incorporated elements of engineering, automation, and education to increase usability and educate users on recycling

  • Developing a proposal for community-wide adoption of these bins and presenting it before “a group of community decisionmakers”, aka our panel of HQ judges

Poster Session

Every year, we have opportunities for oral presentations and a poster showcase. At ESWcon23, four chapters highlighted their projects during the Poster Session, which covered chapter projects on everything from hydroponics to loaded biochar. Take a look at some of this year’s posters.

Career Fair

Make Connections

ESWcon23’s Career and Opportunities Fair boasted top organizations from the engineering, sustainability, and higher education sectors. Thank you to those who joined us! If you’re interested in hiring top students for the next conference, fill out the form below to receive more information about when and where the next ESWCon will take place.

Thank you to our 2023 sponsors!

For Potential Sponsors

Interested in sponsoring the next ESWCon? We can't do it without you. When you sponsor our conference, you gain access to some of the brightest minds in engineering and sustainability.

Please email our Conference Manager, Hadley Willman, for further insight at hwillman@eswusa.org.

Our event received a Platinum Sustainable Event certification from Cornell! Learn more about what we’re doing to ensure our event is not just sustainable in theme, but also in practice.

    • Choose a location that allowed attendees to use sustainable transportation options, like TCAT bus routes, EV charging stations, and bike racks

    • Encourage attendees to travel sustainably by suggesting bus routes, carpooling, biking, walking, or providing shuttles

    • Provide or recommend local accommodations that minimize travel distance for multi-day events

    • Choose a preferred caterer from the Sustainable Caterers List after considering a variety of sustainability criteria

    • Provide fresh and healthy menu options, including local & seasonal produce grown or produced within 400 miles

    • Serve food & beverages buffet-style to avoid individually packaged items

    • Encourage the use of nearby water bottle filling stations and avoid offering individual bottles of water

    • Avoid over-ordering food by requiring event registration

    • Avoid single-use disposable (paper, plastic, or compostable) service ware by offering only hand-held food or encouraging attendees to bring their own bottles, utensils, and plates/containers

    • Ensure the caterer or delivery service does not include disposable items like utensils, cups, and plates

    • If disposable service ware is needed, buy materials recyclable in Tompkins County or made from 100% recycled content

    • Supply reusable plates, cups, and utensils through your caterer or Dish Truck

    • Request proper landfill and recycling bins from R5

    • Ensure that any purchased merch items are useful to attendees

    • Prioritize items that are eco-certified (e.g., climate pledge friendly, Fair Trade)