In Our Nature

The Leopold Lab didn't need to implement any new practices or make changes to earn the title of "Greenest Lab" in the College of Arts and Sciences.

"We just did what we normally do," said lab manager Stephanie Zaborac-Reed.

The lab, headed by Emeritus Professor of Biology Estella Leopold, finds it natural to take steps to make sure they're operating in the most sustainable way possible. Whether it's sharing resources with other labs in Johnson Hall to cut down on redundant purchases, seeking out glass containers instead of plastic whenever...

If you’re riding your bike in the middle of central campus, pay attention to pedestrians or you could face a $25 fine.

As part of the Bike Walk Zone, bicyclists are expected to walk their bikes when pedestrians are present in heavily trafficked areas, according to Transportation Services. Parts highlighted in blue in the map below mark where the zone begins and ends. You'll also find signs posted in the areas.

Bicyclists are held to the same standards as drivers of other moving vehicles. Failure to...

Harborview Medical Center and University of Washington Medical Center have received 2015 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 ninth consecutive year for UW Medical Center to receive the top award and the...

The quarter might be almost over, but you can still find plenty of sustainability events happening around campus. Some of the week's highlights are listed below, and you can find out even more items happening on campus this week with our full calendar (we're always adding events as we learn about them, so the full Sustainability Events calendar is also the best place to find the most up-to-date listings and details on all events). If you know of any events which should be added, let us know, and if you'd like to get a...

UW Associate Vice President Ruth Johnston traveled to Stanford University this spring to discuss strategic priorities and partnerships with fellow higher education sustainability leaders.

Johnston serves on the board of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), which for the past 10 years has been strengthening campus sustainability efforts and making sustainable practices the norm within higher education.

During the day and a half retreat at Stanford, Johnston and several other AASHE board members discussed ways of improving local,...

On May 19-21 EcoReps hosted the annual Green Greek Competition, a contest aimed at educating the Greek Community about sustainability and helping chapters go green. The EcoReps group set up tables on the median of 17th Avenue with activities designed to promote sustainable behaviors within the community. During the three days Greek members could participate in games such as a minute-to-win-it waste sorting challenge, trivia, and recycling basketball. Participation earned chapters and individuals points during the three-day competition, while the games also tested the community on their...

A refined Chevy Malibu sits in the far corner of the UW EcoCAR lab as a reminder of UW’s second place finish last year in the three-year automotive engineering EcoCAR2 competition sponsored by General Motors.

The EcoCAR group is hoping to match that success in the current EcoCAR3 competition, a four-year process to redesign a Chevrolet Camaro to be as energy efficient as possible while keeping its performance.

Teams participate in yearly competitions to show of their designs and test their cars. This year...

By Tiffany Loh
This post was originally published on the Campus Sustainability Fund site.

Earlier this year, the CSF awarded a grand total of $105,367 to 6 projects in the first round of funding for 2015. One of the projects proposed innovative adjustments that would optimize the use of a gift Mother Nature likes to shower upon Seattle: rainwater. 

CSF spoke to Amy Kim, Assistant Professor in Civil & Environmental...

Meetings are a way of life at the University of Washington. Informational meetings, brainstorming sessions, presentations, planning meetings, staff huddles… the list goes on.

Meeting etiquette can be strongly ingrained into your office culture, but some UW offices are transforming the way meetings are conducted – whether it’s reducing paper use or introducing a new video conferencing system to eliminate unnecessary office trips.

The UW Green Office Certification Program sets sustainability standards for UW workplaces, encouraging staff members to practice energy and paper...

Welcome to Spring Quarter Week Nine!

Many of the week's highlights in sustainability events are below, and you can find out even more things happening on campus this week on our full calendar. If you know of any events which should be added, let us know. If you'd like to get a weekly email of all the upcoming sustainability events, subscribe here. And we are always adding new events as we learn about them, so see all the details and any last-minute additions on the full ...