the UW Sustainability blog
Beginning February 8, the University of Washington will be competing for the fourth year in RecycleMania - a friendly tournament where national college campuses compete during the course of eight weeks to see which can reduce, reuse and recycle the most on-campus waste. The UW will take on nationwide universities including Pac-12 rivals Arizona State University, Stanford, University of California Berkeley, University of Oregon and Washington State University.
This Fall, UW Tacoma's Carbon Challenge presented a talk by zero-waste advocate Lauren Singer showcasing how people can live a zero-waste lifestyle. The event was one part of the Carbon Challenge, a Green Seed Fund project to encourage students, faculty and staff to take steps to reduce their carbon footprint.
The UW's ENVIR 480: Sustainability Studio class in the Program on the Environment presents students with a sustainability topic which they engage in as part of an experiential learning course. The topics change each quarter - this spring, the students researched the UW's environmental history. This is part of a series of posts by the students on some of the information they uncovered.
As you get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends, family and food, a little preparation can go a long way in avoiding wasted food. Nearly a third of all food produced in the U.S. ends up being thrown out. Don't let your holiday feast be part of the problem - shop with a menu in mind, and check your fridge to see if you have any food which needs to be used before it goes bad. After you enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, keep those leftovers for delicious meals instead of throwing them out.
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.
Update: The application deadline for the RecycleMania planning committee has been extended to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19. To apply, please send the following to Jessica Lisiewski at recycle@uw.edu with "RecycleMania Committee" in the subject title, and in the email include your name, phone number, email, academic program, school year and a brief written statement (200 words or less) explaining why you are interested in being a member of the committee and what skills, experience, and/or passions you plan to bring to the committee.
Throughout October, be sure and use your reusable mug for coffee on campus. Not only will it cut consumption and waste - you'll also help UW move the national leaderboard!
During the month of October, the University of Washington is part of the national "Kill the Cup" University Challenge, a campaign to reduce waste from disposable coffee cups by promoting reusable cups. The schools which have the highest rate of reusable cup use and social awareness will earn grants for sustainability projects on campus.
The Odegaard Undergraduate Library recently revamped its restroom and public area waste diversion practices in order to help support sustainability on campus.
Volunteers needed to give away free compost bins during student move-in!
Looking to make a difference in UW campus sustainability? Volunteer with UW Recycling to give away free compost bins to incoming students at the UW campus apartments. UW Recycling will be tabling outside of Mercer Court, Stevens Court, and Cedar apartments during student move-in. We need volunteers to help educate new and returning apartment residents about recycling and composting at UW and offer residents a free compost bin for their apartment.