University of Wisconsin–Madison
Have you ever had questions like “Does plastic cutlery go in the recycling?” or “Are greasy pizza boxes recyclable?” So have we. That’s why we created the Zero Waste Compass — a tool to help you find the right way to dispose of common items on campus. Recycling can be confusing; the Zero Waste Compass …
There’s a certain magic to Madison in May. Campus exhales, nature shows off, and for a few weeks, the whole city seems to shift. It’s graduation season, and peak spring migration. And while the spotlight tends to fall on those moving on, it’s also a good time to notice who’s passing through. Each spring and …
The University of Wisconsin–Madison has deployed four state-of-the-art AI recycling assistants called “Oscar Sort” (“Oscars”) across campus, marking an exciting step in the university’s commitment to sustainable operations, education, and research. The Oscars, which use technology developed by the company Intuitive AI, combine waste bins with interactive, digital displays that are designed to make waste …
In our “Where Are They Now?” series, current student interns interview former interns about their experience at the Office of Sustainability, and in particular how that experience has helped them since graduation. In the following entry, Winston Thompson expands on this model by interviewing the former Director of Sustainability Education and Research at UW–Madison, Dr. …
As of August 2022, UW–Madison has relaunched a food waste collection program on a trial-run basis. After receiving tremendous support from the campus community following the cessation of the previous composting program, the UW Zero Waste team convened members from participating facilities, haulers, and a processor in order to find a solution to the composting …
When we mention sustainability, we often reference the large-scale solutions that our climate catastrophe necessitates: global recycling systems, wind farms, solar power, electric cars, even ambitions to relocate our refuse to the moon. Not many of us speak of lighting retrofits. There is no poetry to staring at the ceilings of tired buildings and replacing …
In recent years, UW–Madison maintained a successful campus food waste collection program. However, due to unforeseen circumstances the university must overhaul the program. Learn more below and please take our survey to help UW determine next steps. TAKE THE SURVEY Why? On July 30th, 2021, UW–Madison was forced to suspend collection of food waste (commonly …
One of many green infrastructure projects at UW–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison has received recognition for cutting-edge water and energy saving initiatives at the Charter Street Heating & Cooling Plant in the 2020 Sustainable Campus Index. A publication from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, the Sustainable Campus Index highlights innovative and high-impact initiatives from colleges and universities …
If you had to guess the consumer material that causes the biggest sustainability headaches, what would you pick? For most, the answer would probably be plastic, and for good reason. Plastic is literally everywhere: on the highest mountains, in the deepest ocean trenches, in the atmosphere, even in your table salt. And because of the …