Artists reimagined their waste into dynamic artwork in UW Recycling’s 2026 Trash Art Contest. Winning pieces ranged from a messenger bag made entirely of plastic bags to a lamp constructed from abandoned boat pieces retrieved from Puget Sound.

The contest prompts participants to construct artwork from items normally thought of as trash. Part of the submission process encourages artists to reflect on their personal waste or waste they see in their environment. This year’s winners effectively connected their...

This Earth Day, learn how the UW is working toward decarbonization and what progress we've made.

Join a virtual discussion on the UW's efforts to decarbonize the energy system of our Seattle campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 10:30-11:30 a.m. via Zoom. Registration is required. 

The Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) and UW Resilience Lab have Resilience and Compassion Seed Grants available. Students, staff, and faculty on all three UW campuses are encouraged to apply, and this application will remain open until April 26 at 11:59 p.m. Grants are available for up to $5,000.

The grants are for projects which:

• Foster connectedness, belonging, and community, and bridge gaps between groups on campus and beyond.
• Cultivate kindness, compassion, and gratitude across...

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is hiring four Solid Waste Policy, Planning and Outreach gradute interns. These paid positions will be working with SPU staff to support recycling and composting outreach for Seattle businesses and households, policy and planning activities, and program evaluation.

Applicants must be enrolled in graduate-level coursework, pursuing a degree related to Natural Resource...

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UW Sustainability is working with undergraduate student Julie Shafer on a capstone project around water bottle refill stations on campus. This project will help understand campus water use, access to refill stations and perceptions around using the water stations.

As part of the research, there is a survey on how people use and feel about the water bottle refill stations. This survey is voluntary, anonymous and will take approximately five minutes to complete...

UW Recycling's seventh annual UW Trash Art Contest opens February 13! Participants must create an art piece from items normally thought of as waste. This contest is open to all UW students, faculty and staff.

Categories include:

• 2D art
• 3D art
• Textile art

Submissions are due March 27, 2026 at 4 p.m. Pacific Time (PT). Winners for each category will receive $100 or $50 e-gift cards to a low-waste shop.

Campus Race to Zero Waste (CRZW) is back again at the University of Washington! For the fourteenth year, the UW will participate in the friendly recycling, composting and waste reduction competition between colleges and universities.

CRZW starts runs February 1 and ends March 28, 2026. UW Recycling is organizing and promoting activities focused on waste reduction as part of the competition. Here are some events you can take part in:

Huskies for Equitable Sustainability (HuES) is a student-based program by UW Sustainability to connect students with sustainability projects that have an impact on campus, as well as a forum to connect and learn more about sustainability.

This is the second year HuES has been in existence, and it looks very different from the first year. Last year, the goal was to educate students about different sustainability aspects and effort. This Fall, HuES relaunched with strong momentum, with a strong group of engaged students taking on projects that will help shape the future of...

UW Recycling and two student groups are hosting a Husky Goods thrift event on March 5, 2026 from 5 - 7 p.m. in the Spratlen Hall Learning Resource Center.

This is a COMPLETELY FREE event open to all UW students on the Seattle campus.

Husky Goods Free Store may have:

• Clothing - shirts, jackets, pants
• Accessories - bags, hats, jewelry
• Room decor - mirrors, signs, string lights
• Small appliances - an electrical kettle that...

UW Recycling is hosting a mending fair on February 19, 2026 from 1 - 4 p.m. in the MILL B52, located in McCarty Hall.

The event is open to all UW students on the Seattle campus. If you have a small rip in your clothing or need an item hemmed – you can get your items mended for free!

Menders from Seattle REconomy will be on-site to fix your item while you learn about the resources available to you as a student through the UW makerspaces. This event is...