the UW Sustainability blog
Post by Gabrielle Coeuille, UW Recycling Waste Diversion & Reduction Intern
When we go to the grocery store, it’s hard to avoid plastic. From produce, to meat, to dairy - packaging is everywhere. Plastic has become so entwined with our food system that it is hard to remember a time when all your seasonal berries didn’t come in a carton that lasts practically forever. So I asked myself this question:
As July hits the Pacific Northwest, it means more sun, more time outside and for sustainable-minded folks, less plastic. Join UW Recycling, UW Sustainability and the WholeU in lowering our plastic waste during Plastic Free July.
Check Out UW Recycling’s Top Movie and Book Recommendations
The UW Recycling team has put together a list of books and movies we love that teaches us more about the world of waste. Best of all, they are (nearly) all available with a Netflix account, library card, or flat out free!
What an unconventional year for RecycleMania! UW Recycling planned several campaigns including events encouraging reusable mug/tumbler use and a clothing repair workshop. However, these events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Washington. As the competition wraps up, let's take a look at the successful events this year:
As part of RecycleMania, UW Recycling hosted a Trash Art Contest where UW students and staff submitted art pieces made of trash, recyclable and salvage materials. Three winners were chosen based on the criteria of: originality/creativity, theme of sustainability, material usage and relevance to personal and/or UW campus waste.
Reducing the amount of waste we produce and diverting material to recycling and compost is a major aspect of sustainability. Although you don’t have access to all the campus resources, you can still stay sustainable while teleworking.
This 2020 contest has now ended. See the winners or learn about the 2021 contest.
UW Recycling is holding a Trash Art Contest in March, with $150 in gift cards to be awarded to the winners.
What's plastic film you ask? Plastic film can be a variety of materials including shrink-wrap, bubble wrap and shopping bags.
Effective January 1 2020, UW's plastic film recycling process has changed. Plastic film is no longer accepted in regular recycling bins and will need to be dropped off at specific locations to be recycled.
This Fall, UW Recycling staff once again guest-taught students in the Nutritional Sciences 302 Food Systems class - led by faculty members Yona Sipos and Jennifer Otten - regarding the composting process and how to sort compostable materials on campus.
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We've all had those moments - holding an item over the recycling bin and trying to decide where it goes. Should it go in recycling? Compost? Landfill?
Here are five tips from UW Recycling to help you recycle properly on the Seattle campus.
Recyclables should be: