the UW Sustainability blog
the UW Sustainability blog
UPDATE: Watch the recorded presentation.
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.
For Earth Day 2026, UW’s Executive Director of Campus Energy, Utilities & Operations David Woodson and UW Sustainability Director Lisa Dulude gave an online presentation on the work around decarbonizing the Seattle campus energy system.
The discussion touched on why we're working to decarbonize, the need to shift our campus Power Plant from natural-gas powered boilers that provide building heat to electric heat pumps, some recent good news around state funding for an initial project, some success stories from existing work and more.
Cultural Harvest, a student-led project at the UW that celebrates food, culture, and community, is holding their Year-end event on May 21 from 2:30-5 p.m. in HUB 340. The event celebrates UNESCO’s World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development and features the Cultural Harvest showcase.
This event highlights student work that reflects a cultural experience connected to food — including identity, family, migration, language, place, memory, community, and food justice. Attendees...
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...
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:
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is hiring four Solid Waste Policy, Planning and Outreach graduate 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...
UW Recycling answers 10 common recycling myths that pop up on campus.
We want to hear from you!
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. Anyone who studies, works or otherwise...
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:
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: