Campus Race to Zero Waste

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Students sort through trash to prevent recycling and compost from going to the landfill.

Campus Race to Zero Waste 2024

2024 Campus Race to Zero Waste Results

SU joined over 80 colleges and universities across the country in a competition to reduce the campus waste footprint through minimization efforts by donating, composting, and recycling more than 30.7 million pounds of waste. As a result, collectively, we have kept more than 105 million single-use plastic containers out of landfills and prevented the release of 23,174 metric tons equivalent of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equal to avoiding the annual emissions from 5,515 cars.

SU 2024 Highlights: We Continue to be a Leader in Waste-Reduction Efforts!

  • SU ranked 2nd nationally in the diversion from landfill category of the competition with a 62.57% diversion rate.
  • SU ranked 1st in the medium sized campus division of the diversion category of the competition.
  • SU recycled and composted 131,544 pounds of waste throughout the 8 weeks of the competition.
  • Reduced our cumulative greenhouse gas emissions by 158 metric tons of CO2—which is the same as keeping 31 cars off the road or the energy consumed by 14 households. 

Learn more about Seattle University’s waste minimization efforts at SU Composting and Recycling.

For more details about the results of the 2024 Campus Race to Zero Waste Competition, please visit the 2024 Scoreboard.

What is Campus Race to Zero Waste?

Campus Race to Zero Waste (formerly Recyclemania) is an eight-week recycling competition happening January 29–March 25, 2024 between colleges and universities across North America. Colleges and Universities compete to see how well they are doing in their waste reduction efforts and gauge how they compare to other institutions! 

We will post our weekly ranking on this page, so STAY TUNED for competition updates!

2024 Competition Details: GET INVOLVED and BE THE CHANGE!

Competition categories SU will participate in this year:

  • Diversion = Recyclables, Food Organics, and Trash weights reported
  • Per Capita = Combined amount of paper, cardboard and bottles and cans on a per person basis
  • Food Organics = Food waste and any organic materials handled alongside food waste reported. Organics generated in office and campus residential settings and special events can be included in addition to what is collected from dining facilities
  • Electronics = Total amount of electronics donated and recycled during a one-month period

SU's 2024 Competition Goals

  • Rank within the top five schools in the diversion category. In 2023, SU placed 11th in the diversion category with a 57.4% diversion rating.
  • Rank within the top 10 schools for e-waste category.
  • That it is SU's goal to become a Zero Waste campus!
  • That 50% of SU's trash is actually compostable!
  • That all of SU's pre-consumers food waste is composted on campus and reused on our grounds!

Upcoming Events & Important Dates

When: February 6th, 11 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Where: Garrand 114

Description: Interested in how to properly sort your waste? Join us in educating the campus community and bringing awareness to proper waste disposal. We will discuss the disposal stream accepted in King County/Seattle (and special streams at SU), where they need to be discarded and answer any lingering questions of what goes where. 

When: February 21, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Where: Bell Turn Around

Description: THE ANNUAL COMMUNITY RECYCLING DAY IS BACK. Have too much "stuff" at home? Get your spring cleaning done early and bring in your dorm, home, or office recyclables to SU’s Community Recycling Day for FREE recycling and donation! Sign up to volunteer here. View and download event flyer here.

When: March 6, 9 a.m.
Where: Library Plaza

Description: Pull up your sleeves and join us to find out how much waste and recyclables SU generates per day. Sign up to volunteer here. 

When: March 27, all day
Where: Residence halls and STCN

Description: Do you have textbooks that you no longer use? Donate them to a book donation bin near the resident halls and student center. Books collected will be donated to Books to Prisoners- a Seattle nonprofit. View and download flyer here.

 

 

Visit the official Campus Race to Zero Waste website at https://campusracetozerowaste.org/.

Questions about SU’s Recycling Department and the programs we offer? Email Nathan Wolk or visit the Compost and Recycling page.