Awards & Recognition

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.

We need your help to recognize the people and groups across the University of Washington who strive to advance sustainability, by submitting your nominations for the Husky Sustainability Awards.

The University of Washington was recognized among the national leaders in higher education sustainability by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

AASHE’s 2023 Sustainable Campus Index recognizes the UW’s Seattle campus as a top performer in Purchasing (No. 2 overall) and Transportation (No. 9). UW Bothell shared the top overall spot for Grounds with Cascadia College (the two schools share the Bothell campus), and was tied for No. 2 overall in the Water category.

The 2023 Husky Sustainability Awards have been awarded to eight recipients, as well as three Husky Sustainability Legacy Award honorees.

The winners will be recognized at an award ceremony on Tuesday, May 9 at 3 p.m. in the Kane Hall Walker-Ames Room. All are invited to attend, and the ceremony will be followed by an informal reception with light snacks.

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.

The University of Washington has recently been recognized as a national leader for its sustainability performance, particularly in the areas of purchasing and transportation.

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) 2022 Sustainable Campus Index named the UW second overall, and first among doctoral universities, for sustainable purchasing. The UW was also ninth overall, and fourth among U.S. schools, for sustainable transportation.

The University of Washington has announced the six recipients of the 2022 Husky Green Awards, as well as two Husky Green Legacy Award honorees.

This year's winners include students, faculty and staff who have demonstrated leadership, initiative and dedication to campus sustainability. This is the 13th year the Husky Green Awards have been presented by the UW Environment Stewardship Committee to recognize the individuals and groups who lead the way in sustainability at the UW.

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:

Sustainability is at the heart of our healing mission – and we are proud to share that our sustainability strategies are being recognized with a national award.