What is recycling contamination?

a pile of various items including plastic bags, an aluminum can, dirty containers, and an empty Starbucks cup,

The phrase recycling contamination isn’t clear to people outside of the waste industry. Let’s break it down:

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, contaminate means "to soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association" or "to make inferior or impure by admixture." In recycling, a contaminant is something that should not be in recycling because it can degrade other materials or the recycling process.

2024 Trash Art Contest

text reads: UW Recycling 2024 Trash Art Contest on a purple background with the University of Washington logo

UW Recycling is now accepting entries for the 2024 Trash Art Contest! Participants must create an art piece from items normally thought of as waste or a literary piece about waste.

Categories include:

  • 2D art
  • 3D art
  • Textile art
  • Literature

Art pieces should express feelings or ideas about waste, or a sustainability topic that relates to waste. This contest is open to all UW students, faculty and staff.

2023 Trash Art Contest winners announced

little plastic rectangles that spell out TAGC

Artists from around the UW created astounding art pieces from trash in the fourth annual Trash Art Contest.

UW Recycling received 23 submissions from UW students, faculty and staff. Five winning pieces were selected in three categories. The artwork needed to be created from items normally thought of as trash or a written work about waste and sustainability. Artists were asked to express feelings or ideas about waste, or a sustainability topic that relates to waste.