Students are now considering how the project can be rolled out in other laboratories, with the potential for another 1.3 million dollars in savings if they achieve the same rate of success.

Susanna Klassen, a fourth-year environmental science student, has been involved with sustainability projects since her freshman year, when she became one of the coordinators of the McGill Farmers’ Market, which is held on campus during the autumn. It offers a program in which shareholders preorder a weekly box of food before the harvest, with the funds going to farmers during the time of year when their expenses are the highest.

“You share in the risks of agriculture,” she said. “Some crops aren’t as available in some years, depending on the weather. But you always get your money’s worth, are introduced to new varieties and eat more seasonally.”

The program also helped broaden the appeal of the market. “It has been a way to reach out to professionals in the city,” Ms. Klassen said.

Neil Connelly, director of the Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, said he saw increased interest in environmental matters among young people. “We were the first in Western Canada to offer a transit pass for all students, and we’ve seen a major shift in travel patterns and a reduction of cars on campus,” he said. In 1996, about 75 percent of the faculty, staff and students arrived on campus by car; today 50 percent do, according to campus transit surveys. Now, former parking lots are being transformed into new buildings.

“We have 1,000 fewer parking spaces than a decade ago, and new buildings have shower facilities for cyclists,” Mr. Connelly said. “There’s more awareness at the high-school level, and students coming onto campus have higher expectations of how the campus operates.”

At the University of Toronto, students are encouraged to take simple energy-saving measures, like turning off the lights when they leave a room.