In Our Nature

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.

In collaboration with UW Housing & Food Services (HFS), SCRAM donation stations are set up at each residence hall during finals week. ­Bedding, clothing, emergency red backpacks, non-perishable food, small appliances, school supplies and toiletries are collected and sorted...

When his friends were buying cars, UW student Scott Calvert was busy saving money for a better bike.

It's a passion he's sharing with UW by working at the ASUW bike shop - a hub for the UW biking community that's detailed in this video.

"I’ve always liked bikes," Calvert says. "It’s this tiny machine that’s basically an extension of your own body rather than something that encases you and does all the work for you. You’re really connected...

Photo courtesy of Meili Powell, Tali Haller, Dana Chapman, and Mikayla Richardson

Last spring, a group of UW students traveled more than 200 miles to help teach three sixth grade classes about the environment.

"Our overarching goal was to perpetuate love for the environment, but also teach kids how to affect change on the local level," said Tali Haller, one of the UW student teachers.

Since 2000, the UW Pipeline Project has sponsored Environmental Alternative Spring Break, a weeklong...

The University of Washington is one of four finalists for the first Sustainability Award from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USG Corp.

UW was honored for the sustainability aspects of the recent renovation of Husky Stadium. NACDA said the project "looked past the basics of water and energy conservation to enhance infrastructure, reduce the building's impact on the surrounding environment and provide a platform that has allowed UW to promote sustainability to its...

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. Over the coming weeks, we'll be publishing some of the information students uncovered. As part of their research, students used archival resources in the Libraries'...

Within the College of Built Environments the urban planning real estate track will be offering a new sustainability focused class starting winter quarter 2016 ( R E 518). This three credit class will explore the best practices in sustainable real estate, analyzing at a macro level, the importance of sustainability in urban areas and introducing the best practices for various environmentally friendly and financially feasible interventions in the US and abroad. Also, at a micro level the class will focus on the adoption of environmentally friendly improvements at the building level with...

Coming autumn quarter 2015, the Communications department will be offering a new sustainability focused class; Communication, Cities, and Sustainability (Com 325). This five credit class will explore how creative communication processes can enhance the sustainability and livability of cities by inviting, inspiring, connecting, educating, and engaging its citizens. Students will employ ethnographic techniques to analyze the complex, urban communication environment in which they live.

Picture from...

The new UW light rail station is on schedule to open in early 2016, but Sound Transit is giving you a chance to virtually ride the route today, in the driver's seat. The agency has uploaded a video showing the tunnel during a test run from the new Capitol Hill station to the UW light rail station.

At the end of the video, you can see a quick glimpse...

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?

The City of Tacoma has been recognized by Governor Jay Inslee as one of the winners of the 2015 Smart Communities Award for the creation of the Prairie Line Trail in partnership with UW Tacoma.

Tacoma was awarded the Smart Partnerships award for the trail project, which created a multi-use trail on an old railroad corridor connecting the center of the UWT campus with the surrounding community. You can...