In Our Nature

The University of Washington signed the Washington Business Climate Declaration on March 31st, a statement which supports using energy efficiently, investing in cleaner fuels, advancing renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Declaration was drafted by the Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP).

Over 100 companies in Washington, including Virginia Mason, Microsoft, REI, and the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce have signed the declaration, which...

Welcome to week three of Spring Quarter! Here is a list of some of the sustainability-related events happening around the UW this week. All of these events and more are listed on our Sustainability Events calendar, where you can find the full details for all events and any last-minute additions. If you'd like to get a weekly email of all the upcoming sustainability events, subscribe here. If you know of any events which should be added, let us know.

Awarded $35,915 by the Green Seed Fund, the research project “UWT Husky Lines” strives to tackle the problem of public transportation to the UW Tacoma campus from a geographical and social point of view.

Dr. Britta Ricker, Assistant Professor of Urban Studies at UW Tacoma, along with student Alexa Brockamp, revealed in an interview that the idea for the proposal came from the fact that a significant portion of UW Tacoma’s carbon footprint comes from transportation. They also knew that students - many from the suburban and rural areas near the university - complained about the lack...

The Spring quarter's in full swing, and you can find sustainability-related events on campus every day this week.

All of these events and more are listed on our Sustainability Events calendar, where you can find the full details for all events and any last-minute additions. If you'd like to get a weekly email of all the upcoming sustainability events, subscribe here. If you know of any events which should be added, let us know.

This spring, EcoReps Coordinator Merrick Calder and Green Greek Coordinator Kiyomi Morris both were given the opportunity to present the Excellence in Environmental Awareness awards to the top green houses in the greek community as part of the 2015 Greek Excellence Awards. The winners were Alpha Delta Pi, Kappa Delta, Sigma Kappa, and Zeta Tau Alpha.

It was a great opportunity for EcoReps as the Intrafraternity Council and Panhellenic Council, governing bodies of the Greek community, recognized the need...

The Whole U and UW Sustainability are celebrating National Walk at Work Day at noon this Friday, April 3, with a 45-minute walk highlighting some of UW's environmental efforts on campus.

The walk will start at the north side of Drumheller Fountain. UW Sustainability staff will lead the stroll, highlighting some of the sustainable features on campus, such as LEED buildings, the UW Farm, and more.

The Whole U is also organizing guided walks at the Bothell and Tacoma campuses, as well as Harborview Medical Center. To join any of the walks,...

Everyone's back on campus for the start of spring quarter, which means there are once again plenty of sustainability-related events happening around campus. 

All of these events and more are listed on our Sustainability Events calendar, where you can find the full details for all events and any last-minute additions. If you'd like to get a weekly email of all the upcoming sustainability events, subscribe here. If you know of any events which should be added, let us know....

There's a new way to deliver the mail at the University of Washington.

UW Mailing Services has recently rolled out a pair of bicycles to use in moving mail around campus. Mailing Services Manager Steven Roberts said the bikes will help most with small or express jobs which come in after the usual daily routes are finished. In the past, these tasks would have required a driver to use a truck. Even though the Mailing Services fleet is all hybrid-electric vehicles, using a truck still means using some gas.

"The ultimate goal is to use the trucks as sparingly as possible, and...

A Green Seed Fund project team hopes to save medical equipment from the landfill and give wheelchairs and walkers a second life, by examining opportunities for the UW Medical Center (UWMC) and Harborview Medical Center (HMC) to connect with community reuse programs and patients in need. Dr. Jennifer S. Pitonyak, an assistant professor in the Division of Occupational Therapy at UW and member of the project team, said that as a healthcare provider, she knew that sustainability and recycling of equipment is often overlooked in the face of maintaining patient...

With the City of Seattle’s new compost ordinance in effect, UW Recycling is, more than ever, a pivotal waste diversion resource on campus.

As of January 1, Seattle prohibits food waste from garbage destined for the landfill. The University of Washington is dedicated to waste reduction, and composting and recycling at the University is designed to be visible, convenient and to maximize the recovery of waste. UW Recycling's MiniMax program, the desk-side, self-service waste collection system,...