In Our Nature

UW Civil & Environmental Engineering researchers helped Bellevue City Hall become the first Fitwel Certified government building in Puget Sound.

Assistant professor Amy Kim and post-doc Shuoqi (Stanley) Wang helped Bellevue city staff through the certification process. One of the leading certifiers of healthy buildings in the United States, Fitwel was developed in recent years by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. General Services Administration, and is operated by the...

UW Athletics is looking for an intern to assist with sustainability operations during the upcoming academic year. 

Position description:

The University of Washington Department of Athletics operates an active sustainability program, focusing on waste diversion, staff, student and fan engagement, energy and water conservation, as well as the improvement and renovation of athletic facilities.

The sustainability intern is involved in all areas of the sustainability program including...

Harborview Medical Center and University of Washington Medical Center have received 2018 Top 25 Environmental Excellence Awards from Practice Greenhealth. The Top 25 Award recognizes healthcare facilities across the country that exemplify environmental excellence and are setting the highest standards for environmental practices in healthcare. This is the twelfth consecutive year...

As the student sustainability assistant, Alexa Russo became an integral part of UW Bothell's sustainability work. So integral, that after graduating she was asked to stay on as UW Bothell's interim sustainability coordinator.

Alexa was first introduced to Bothell’s Sustainability Office at a club fair on campus. What was a quick casual chat with the then-Sustainability Coordinator Cassie Lubenow sparked a relationship with the office that outlasted her student career.

As UW Bothell’s Student Sustainability Assistant, Alexa went above and beyond her expected...

Hello! My name is Angelica Sagun and I am currently a senior majoring in Public Health and minoring in Diversity. My interests involve working out and running, traveling, and trying new food with family and friends! Engaging in sustainable practices every day is something I have become increasingly passionate about through the education I have received at the UW. We're fortunate to be at a University that cares about sustainability and it's important to remain conscious about our actions and decisions and the potential impacts it has on the environment as well as on human health.

In...

Frieda Luoma-Cohan wasn’t content to confine her college experience to the classroom.

As an Environmental Studies student, she sought out opportunities to take her learning outside, whether it was on a class field trip, an outdoor excursion, or the opportunity to be the official steward of the new Sustainable Learning Space on south campus.

“I really seek out that kind of learning. I think it’s the way I learn best...

You may have read about China’s changing views on recyclable plastic in the news recently. Are you and your colleagues confused about recycling and composting at the University of Washington? Have you heard rumors that it doesn’t really matter what you do — that it all ends up in the trash anyway? Or do you feel like your efforts as an individual won’t make a difference?

Yikes! Hold up!

The truth is the UW Recycling team — of Building Services Department — collects sorted recycling, compost and landfill materials...

I am excited to join UW Sustainability this year as the Green Certifications Program Coordinator. Currently, I am a junior in the University of Washington’s Environmental Studies major, as well as the Fundraising and Business Coordinator for EcoReps and a member of the Campus Sustainability Fund Committee. My interest in sustainability is rooted in my experience with waste – both at the family dinner table and through my work with my high school’s composting program – but has since grown beyond that to include the social and economic aspects of sustainability. My other interests include...

Hello! My name is Christina, and I am the new UW Sustainability Projects Assistant. I'll be going into my sophomore year at UW this fall, and I am pursuing a double-degree in Environmental Studies and Environmental Science & Terrestrial Resource Management. I'm also the Membership & Service-Learning Coordinator for EcoReps, so I can answer any EcoReps related questions! I enjoy hiking, photography, and taking care of plants. My passion for environmental sustainability stems from my family’s annual camping trips to national parks that have...

Guest post from UW student Kartik Arora

Trash-It is an app to that uses machine learning to classify if an item goes in the compost, recycle, or landfill. Much of the trash humans currently produce is being thrown into landfills, including many items that could be recyclable or compostable. One way we can cut down on waste in our region is to make sure we properly sort our trash. When people aren't sure which trash can their waste goes into, they often choose the safest option which is landfill. This is the issue my app was made to tackle.

Being an international...