Recycling, Compost & Waste

You may have read about China’s changing views on recyclable plastic in the news recently. Are you and your colleagues confused about recycling and composting at the University of Washington? Have you heard rumors that it doesn’t really matter what you do — that it all ends up in the trash anyway? Or do you feel like your efforts as an individual won’t make a difference?

Yikes! Hold up!

Guest post from UW student Kartik Arora

Trash-It is an app to that uses machine learning to classify if an item goes in the compost, recycle, or landfill. Much of the trash humans currently produce is being thrown into landfills, including many items that could be recyclable or compostable. One way we can cut down on waste in our region is to make sure we properly sort our trash. When people aren't sure which trash can their waste goes into, they often choose the safest option which is landfill. This is the issue my app was made to tackle.

Moving out of north campus after Spring quarter? UW Recycling and the Husky Neighborhood Cleanup will help keep any unwanted items out of the landfill. All students can stop by the cleanup station on 17th Ave NE & NE 47th St. from 1-5 p.m. on June 7, 8 and 11 and drop off any unwanted items for free. All items will be recycled, donated or properly disposed of.

The University of Washington Department of Athletics was one of two university winners of the 2018 Environmental Innovators of the Year awards by the Green Sports Alliance. 

The University of Washington is partnering with Cupanion to reward students each time they fill a reusable mug instead of using a disposable cup. 

The SEED student group has partnered with Housing and Food Services to make Cupanion stickers available starting this week. With the sticker and a downloadable smartphone app, each time you fill your reusable mug scan the bar code in the app and earn point toward rewards such as gift cards. 

The Rabinovitch Lab was certified as a Gold Green Laboratory in October for their amazing green strategies. The Rabinovitch Lab focuses on pathology, and puts in great efforts to make sure their daily operations are sustainable.

Guest post by Cailin Winston

Imagine living in a village where computer monitors and circuit boards line the streets, where the air creates a stinging sensation in your eyes and nose, where you dare not eat the rice that you grow because it is likely to be contaminated with heavy metals and toxins. This is Guiyu, China, one of the largest informal recycling operations for electronic waste in the world.

UW Recycling is hiring for a Program Coordinator, with the posting closing on November 7. See the full job post and apply at the UW jobs site.

This position will serve as one of three primary customer contacts for UW Recycling, and as department coordinator for strategy management systems and process improvement initiatives.

Guest submission by Adam Fehn, UW Recycling Program Coordinator

Once you become familiar with being part of a campus community that’s renowned for its sustainability practices, it can be hard to believe that a formal recycling program at University of Washington was established only 26 years ago. Thanks to several key student-lead initiatives, UW Recycling eventually grew to become a team of 14 administrative and operations members that support the entire campus every day.

Guest submission by Audrey Taber, UW Recycling Student Waste Diversion Coordinator