You’re probably already familiar with the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.  And when we think about if something can be recycled, we usually think of the material as the main factor. Paper, check. Metal, check. Glass, check. Easy! Well, we’d love it if it was that easy. What determines if an item can be successfully recycled is actually more complicated. This is why recycling can seem so confusing.

Although we would love for every item to be thrown in the recycling bin, sorted, and then repurposed, it is only possible to recycle an item when it meets certain criteria. While you can...

The UW Program on the Environment is hosting a series of structured conversations this Fall with UW campus leaders who have helped create change, called "On race: Talking, Listening, Making Change." These "Open Spaces Conversations" will happen every Friday at 3 p.m., although some of them will be for Program on the Environment students only. 

The conversations are intended to have both historical and pragmatic dimensions, exploring what key individuals who have helped create change within and beyond this university have leared about the processes of institutional and social change...

The Renewable Energy Scholarship Foundation is now soliciting applications for scholarships which will be awarded for the 2021-2022 school year.

Applications can be submitted until Februrary 15. At least four scholarships will be awarded to students who are studying renewable energy in any sense. Issues such as energy storage, demand response, grid-interactive efficient buildings and load flexibility, advanced grid modernization and greening of the grid all fall under the umbrella of renewable energy. Electrical engineers, computer scientists...

The Washinton & Oregon Higher Education Conference (WOHESC) is seeking workshops, panel discussions and presentation proposals for the 2021 conference happening February 10-12, 2021 at South Seattle College. The current deadline to submit your topic ideas is Friday, September 11th, 2020.
 
WOHESC is a platform for inspiring change, facilitating action, and promoting collaboration related to sustainability within the Cascadia region's higher education institutions. Conversation, workshops, and networking opportunities will empower participants to advance...

Hi everyone, I’m Kalina and I am the UW Sustainability Project Assistant. I am a first year graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration through the Evans School. Before coming to Seattle, I lived in Wisconsin for all of my life and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I received a BS in Community and Nonprofit Leadership. My passions are directly related to community health and how we can better our systems to improve the lives of those around us.

Outside of the office you’ll typically find me reading, doodling, or adventuring throughout Seattle as I...

Adam Fehn is a Program Coordinator for UW Recycling. He took a personal challenge to go plastic-free during the month of July.

Why Did I Go Plastic Free?

As a recycling Program Coordinator, I was very aware of the amount and types of plastics I used and I knew that many of those items were packaging and single-use plastics. Like most people, I was caught up in the convenience of a system that perpetuates the cycle of disposable plastics. When I heard that we at UW Recycling were going to start a social media campaign surrounding...

Post by Gabrielle Coeuille, UW Recycling Waste Diversion & Reduction Intern

When we go to the grocery store, it’s hard to avoid plastic. From produce, to meat, to dairy - packaging is everywhere. Plastic has become so entwined with our food system that it is hard to remember a time when all your seasonal berries didn’t come in a carton that lasts practically forever. So I asked myself this question:

Is it possible to have a truly plastic free meal without going to a bulk store or the farmers market? Additionally, is it possible to make this meal as low impact as...

UW graduate student Jonathan Chen has created a UW Food System COVID-19 Survey to better understand how COVID-19 has impacted people's access to food on UW Seattle’s campus. Anyone affiliated with UW Seattle who is 18 or over is invited to participate and enter a drawing to win a $50 gift card to the University Bookstore. Documenting your experience during this difficult time can help improve things for the future.

Take the survey

Questions? Please email ...

Join UW Recycling, UW Sustainability, and The Whole U this month in committing to reduce plastic use

As July hits the Pacific Northwest, it means more sun, more time outside and for sustainable-minded folks, less plastic. Join UW Recycling, UW Sustainability and the WholeU in lowering our plastic waste during Plastic Free July.

Plastic Free July speaks for itself: avoid using or buying...

So much of the material we handle on a daily basis is made of plastic. Let’s delve into some common questions about the puzzling predicament of perplexing plastic!

What does the number in the chasing arrow symbol mean?

Understandably, many people often think that the chasing arrow symbol on a plastic item means that the product is recyclable. However, that’s not always the case. The symbol and the number inside it is called a “resin identification code,” which tells the consumers what kind of plastic was used to make the product. The resin identification code was made in...