Allison Nitch's blog

As a result of UW Recycling’s two annual waste diversion events — SCRAM (Students Cleanup, Recycle and Moveout) and Husky Neighborhood Cleanup (HNC) — the University of Washington donated a combined total of 28.4 tons of reusable items to local charities and non-profit organizations.

For the second year in a row, University of Washington's Seattle campus came in first among its Pac-12 competitors in overall waste reduction during RecycleMania, a national collegiate waste diversion tournament. With an overall reduction rate of 55%, the University ranked number 25 on a list of 207 competing institutions.

For over seven years, the University Book Store has been supporting campus sustainability through its plastic bag recycling program. Although standard plastic bags are banned in Seattle, the University Book Store uses bags made with a thicker plastic, which is allowed. The plastic in the book store bags is at least 2.25 mil thick (one mil is equal to one-thousandth of an inch), which allows the bags to be more easily reused and eventually recycled.

The Odegaard Undergraduate Library recently revamped its restroom and public area waste diversion practices in order to help support sustainability on campus.

As a result of UW Recycling’s annual waste diversion event known as SCRAM (Students Cleanup, Recycle and Moveout), the University of Washington’s Seattle campus donated a grand total of 28.7 tons of reusable items to local charities and non-profit organizations, a 60% increase from 17.9 tons in 2014.

Polystyrene foam (a.k.a Styrofoam) is a petroleum-based plastic. It’s typically tossed in the trash once it serves its purpose of insulating beverages and food or cushioning fragile items, but because Styrofoam does not decompose, a multitude of issues arise once it’s released into the environment. Examples include air and marine pollution, the release of toxic chemicals and the destruction of wildlife that ingests the plastic. So, how do you address a problem like polystyrene foam?

Graduation is just around the corner, which means it’s time for UW Recycling to gear up for two annual waste diversion events: Students Cleanup, Recycle and Moveout (SCRAM) and Husky Neighborhood Cleanup. Both programs capture unwanted items from thousands of students as they move out of residence halls and the north campus community that is home to Greek Row.

With the City of Seattle’s new compost ordinance in effect, UW Recycling is, more than ever, a pivotal waste diversion resource on campus.