Seattle University placed 20th overall for waste diversion. See scorecard and press release below to see how Seattle University compared to other major schools in the 2019 Recyclemania competition!
RecycleMania is a 8-week long competition between colleges across the U.S. and Canada that tracks the amount of each institutions’ weekly recycling, composting, and trash rates! A few of the universities we are competing against include the University of Washington, Washington State University, Stanford, Yale, and Harvard. Last year, SU placed sixth overall (see our 2018 results here)! This year's competition runs from February 3-March 30, 2019.Each week, participating schools will be ranked in different categories based on how well and how much they minimize waste and divert from the landfill! We will post our weekly ranking on this page, so STAY TUNED for competition updates!
What is SU's 2019 RecycleMania Goal? Save our recycling!
Highlights
SU took 20th place with with a final diversion rate (recycling plus composting) of 56.4%
15 volunteers over 5 hours, sorting 449lbs of waste during Garbology: Raiders of the Lost Recycling event
We sorted 449lbs of “recyclables” from across all public recycling stations on campus
350lbs of recyclable waste (78% of total weight)
23lbs of compostable waste (5% of total weight)
76lbs of landfill waste (17% of total weight)
5000lbs of donation items and electronic recycling were collected by the university on Community Recycling Day.
An additional 2179lbs of e-waste was collected over the 8-week period
2019 RecyleMania Competition Details: GET INVOLVED!
1. Attend and Volunteer!
The next 8 weeks will be full to the brim with fun, interactive and educational waste events! We are asking YOU to join us for some or all of the below activities. Come and connect with other wonderful SU community members who are vested in working towards a just and sustainable world!
First, take the online RECYCLEMANIA AT SU PLEDGEand do your part to minimize waste on campus and throw your "stuff" in the right bin!
TUESDAY, 01/29, 11:00am-2:00pm (Student Center 2nd floor at C-street). RecycleMania 2019 KICKOFF--Tabling at C-street.
TUESDAY, 2/19, 10:00AM-3:00PM (LEML Plaza - Quad in front of the library)GARBOLOGY IV--Raiders of the Lost Recycling. SU Campus members: come and see the mound of recycling waste from one day at SU, find out what we throw away in the wrong bin, and educate others about it. SEE MORE EVENT DETAILS HERE and SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER.
FRIDAY, 02/22, 12:00PM-2:00PM (STCN at C-street) Seattle Public Utilities will table at C-street to answer all your questions about recycling at SU! Interested in tabling with SPU? SIGN UP HERE TO VOLUNTEER.
TUESDAY, 02/26, 6:00-7:00PM (Pigott 203) "What Goes Where?" WASTE SORTING WORKSHOP for Students, Staff, and Faculty, facilitated by Recology-Cleanscapes, the SU Facilities Recycling shop, and the SU Green Team. SEE MORE EVENT DETAILS HERE
TUESDAY, 03/05, 7:00am-1:00pm (Bellarmine Turnaround, at flagpole). COMMUNITY RECYCLING DAY 2019. Bring your hard-to recycle items such as electronics, styrofoam, etc. from your home and office and get them recycled for FREE. Also, SEE MORE EVENT DETAILS HERE and SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER.
March 11- 15th at lunchtime (12:30pm-1:30pm), we will need2 volunteers each day to stand near the waste bins in C-Street, to "talk trash" and provide a brief "Recycling 101". Volunteers will receive notes on waste sorting beforehand. Sign up to volunteer here!
For more details about these events, email Nathan Wolk, SU's Recycling Coordinator and Compost Technician, at wolknathanie@seattleu.edu.
2. Make small lifestyle changes!
Small lifestyle changes not only reduce the waste you produce, but also encourage others to do the same! Here are some tangible ways to make a difference:
Only take the food serving you can finish and help SU reduce its food waste
Use a reusable water bottle and reduce plastic waste on campus
Use a reusable mug. Bring your own mug to any campus cafe and get a 20-cent discount on hot drinks and soda
Use reusable dishware instead of to-go boxes and help reduce waste on campus
Educate yourself on what materials are recyclable and compostable - see some resources below!
It is estimated that roughly 75% of the waste stream in the United States is recyclable, but only about 30% is actually recycled (EPA, 2018).
What is Recycling?
Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products. Recycling can benefit your community, the economy and the environment. -EPA, December 2017
Why is it so important?
Even though Recycling is commonly advertised as a positive practice, there are far more reasons for this than those that may seem obvious.
Recycling...
Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators
Conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals
Increases economic security by tapping a domestic source of materials
Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials
Saves energy
Supports American manufacturing and conserves valuable resources
Helps create jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States
Quickly learning correct waste disposal habits can change the way you and people around you dispose of waste for the rest of your life! Skim through some of these resources to get informed!
