the UW Sustainability blog
The University of Washington has won the Campus Race to Zero Waste 2026 Case Study Competition in the Education and Awareness category.
Campus Race to Zero Waste is a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities.
The National Laboratory of the Rockies is hosting a collegiate Technology Recycling and Repurposing (T-ReX) Competition, challenging students to find creative yet practical ways to recycle or repurpose retired energy components and materials. Student teams interested in competing must apply by September 30, 2026.
The competition is designed to increase student awareness and knowledge about:
UW students living in the North campus neighborhood can get rid of unwanted items for free during the Husky Neighborhood Cleanup. On August 27 and September 21 & 22 trucks will be on site accepting items for recycling or disposal.
A UW student Husky card will be required to drop off material. Items can be taken on those days to the median at 17th Ave NE & NE 47th St. from 1 to 5 p.m. or until the trucks are full.
Accepted items include:
Artists reimagined their waste into dynamic artwork in UW Recycling’s 2026 Trash Art Contest. Winning pieces ranged from a messenger bag made entirely of plastic bags to a lamp constructed from abandoned boat pieces retrieved from Puget Sound.
Campus Race to Zero Waste (CRZW) is back again at the University of Washington! For the fourteenth year, the UW will participate in the friendly recycling, composting and waste reduction competition between colleges and universities.
CRZW starts runs February 1 and ends March 28, 2026. UW Recycling is organizing and promoting activities focused on waste reduction as part of the competition. Here are some events you can take part in:
UW Recycling's seventh annual UW Trash Art Contest opens February 13! Participants must create an art piece from items normally thought of as waste. This contest is open to all UW students, faculty and staff.
Categories include:
Submissions are due March 27, 2026 at 4 p.m. Pacific Time (PT). Winners for each category will receive $100 or $50 e-gift cards to a low-waste shop.
UW Recycling and two student groups are hosting a Husky Goods thrift event on March 5, 2026 from 5 - 7 p.m. in the Spratlen Hall Learning Resource Center.
This is a COMPLETELY FREE event open to all UW students on the Seattle campus.
Husky Goods Free Store may have:
UW Recycling is hosting a mending fair on February 19, 2026 from 1 - 4 p.m. in the MILL B52, located in McCarty Hall.
The event is open to all UW students on the Seattle campus. If you have a small rip in your clothing or need an item hemmed – you can get your items mended for free!
SEED & UW Recycling are hosting a Husky Goods thrift swap event on November 20, 2025 from 6 - 8 p.m in the Spratlen Hall Learning Resource Center.
The event is open to all UW students on the Seattle campus. Bring items you no longer need and swap them for something new to you - FOR FREE.
The University of Washington Seattle campus won the education & awareness category in the 2025 Campus Race to Zero Waste Case Study Competition.