UW Sustainability's blog

The University of Washington is one of four universities worldwide, and the only one from the United States, named this week as a Sustainable Campus Excellence Award winner by the International Sustainable Campus Network.

Sorting your waste at UW is now a little clearer with 3-D visuals showing ideal disposal. The new visuals, located in the HUB and By George Café, aim to simplify waste disposal on campus and encourage greater composting and recycling. UW Sustainability led the project in partnership with the UW Garbology Project, UW Housing and Food Services, and UW Recycling.

The US Green Building Council recently awarded LEED gold certification to UW Medicine Phase 3.1 in South Lake Union. Green features of the 183,000-square-foot, seven-story building include a storm water cistern for irrigation, a heat-recovery chiller, high-efficiency boilers, exhaust air energy recovery and more. The project was financed through $165 million in tax-exempt bonds via the National Development Council.

The University of Washington announces the launch of its new Commuter Calculator—an interactive web-based application that allows commuters to explore how their commute choices affect the cost, CO₂ output and calories burned by their commute.

The University of Washington’s sustainability leadership was recognized Tuesday evening at the fifth annual Green Washington Awards, hosted by Seattle Magazine. The event celebrated 50 organizations in Washington state demonstrating leadership and commitment to sustainable business practices.

Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability is pleased to announce the launch of the new UW Sustainability Map—a web-based application showing the locations of over 25 types of sustainability resources.

Recognizing excellence in campus tree management, Tree Campus USA engages both the student body and the wider community in the establishment and maintenance of community forests. Since 2010 the University of Washington has held the proud distinction of Tree Campus USA recognition.

Next week will be the University of Washington’s 2012 Sustainability Summit, the third annual event that celebrates leadership and accomplishments in environmental stewardship and sustainability.

Learn about some of the inaugural projects by students, faculty and staff using money from the student-funded Campus Sustainability Fund as part of the second annual Sustainability Summit on campus Oct. 26.

What’s the coolest university in America? By one significant measure, it’s the University of Washington.