Recycling, Compost & Waste

The University of Washington is announcing the steps it will take in this fiscal year, starting July 1, to reach the targets set in the UW’s Sustainability Action Plan.

The University of Washington adopted its Sustainability Action Plan, including 10 measurable targets, on July 1, 2020. The Plan will guide our sustainability efforts through 2025, with updated actions determined annual to help us work toward those targets.

The University of Washington has finalized its new Sustainability Action Plan, which will guide the university’s efforts during the next five years.

The Sustainability Action Plan includes five guiding principles and 10 measurable targets along with annual actions to reach those targets. Each year, the UW will evaluate the immediate actions needed over the next fiscal year to respond to changing realities and needs across our campuses.

Feedback from the University of Washington community on the UW’s draft Sustainability Strategy and proposed actions has been published.

The draft Sustainability Strategy was released on Earth Day, April 22. All members of the UW community were invited to take a survey to provide input on the draft - including the guiding principles and targets - and proposed actions.. Those survey results and comments have been compiled and are available as a PDF document.

The University of Washington is working to develop a comprehensive Sustainability Plan. Led by Executive Sponsor and UW Facilities Vice President Lou Cariello, the Sustainability Plan is on track for delivery on Earth Day, April 22, 2020. The team will be using several tools to identify gaps and the actions that will comprise the Plan, including UW's 2018 STARS submission (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System) and the Climate Action Inventory.

A new University of Washington study has confirmed the best option for disposing of unused food and yard waste is composting rather than sending it to the landfill.

Food waste generates the greenhouse gas methane when it decomposes in landfills, but not when it's composted. Cities such as Seattle with municipal composting avoid generating a large amount of methane as a result of keeping the organic materials out of the landfill.

For the third straight year, the University of Washington will be competing in RecycleMania, a friendly tournament where national college campuses compete during the course of eight weeks to see which can reduce, reuse and recycle the most on-campus waste. The UW will take on nationwide universities, including Pac-12 rivals Arizona State University, Stanford, University of Oregon and Washington State University.

Every year 7.2 million tons of food is wasted and thrown away, which releases 17 million tons of CO2. Wasting food costs the environment and economy with landfill production and disposal costs. However, the University of Washington has a great food waste composting program, which provides compostable napkins, cups straws and containers in all dining facilities.