trash art

Winning pieces use art to spark conversations about waste

For the fifth year, artists from around the UW created dazzling art pieces in the annual Trash Art Contest.

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.

UW Recycling is excited to host another Trash Art Contest for 2023!

Categories include literature, 2D and 3D art. Participants must create an art piece from items normally thought of as trash or a literary piece about waste. 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.

Submissions are due March 22, 2023 at 4 p.m. PST. Winners for each category will receive $100 or $50 gift cards to a low waste store.

The 2022 Trash Art Contest, organized by UW Recycling, gave UW artists a space to make statements around waste and sustainability while using materials usually thought of as trash.

Five winners transformed trash into stunning art pieces in the third annual UW Trash Art Contest.

The contest, organized by UW Recycling, received more than 20 submissions from students, faculty and staff in the categories of literature, 2D art and 3D art. The artwork needed to be created from items normally thought of as trash. Artists were asked to express feelings or ideas about waste, or a sustainability topic that relates to waste.

This year's winners were:

UW Recycling is excited to host another Trash Art Contest for 2022!  

The categories this year include literature, 2D and 3D art. Participants must create an art piece from items normally thought of as trash or a literary piece about waste. 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.

Winners of the 2021 Trash Art Contest express impacts on the environment through written and sculpted art pieces.

Enter the 2022 Trash Art Contest

2022 Trash Art Contest

Garbage may not be the most ideal art material, but it combines conservation and art creation to achieve profound results.

UW Recycling is excited to host another Trash Art Contest for 2021! The contest is part of this year's Campus Race to Zero Waste (previously RecycleMania).

As part of RecycleMania, UW Recycling hosted a Trash Art Contest where UW students and staff submitted art pieces made of trash, recyclable and salvage materials. Three winners were chosen based on the criteria of: originality/creativity, theme of sustainability, material usage and relevance to personal and/or UW campus waste.

This 2020 contest has now ended. See the winners or learn about the 2021 contest.

UW Recycling is holding a Trash Art Contest in March, with $150 in gift cards to be awarded to the winners.