Campus Race to Zero Waste 2023

Jump to...

• 2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste Results
• What is Campus Race to Zero Waste?
• 2023 Competition Details: GET INVOLVED and BE THE CHANGE
• Upcoming Events and Important Dates

2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste Results

Seattle University joined more than 3.4 million college students and staff across the country in a competition to reduce the campus waste footprint through minimization efforts by donating, composting and recycling more than 29.4 million pounds of waste. As a result, collectively, we have kept more than 200 million single-use plastic containers out of landfills and prevented the release of 29,108 metric tons equivalent of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equal to avoiding the annual emissions from 6,128 cars.

• SU placed 11th nationally out of 91 participating Colleges and Universities in the Diversion Category. SU placed 3rd in the Medium Sized School Carnegie Class.  
• SU recycled and composted around 109,000lbs of materials throughout the 8 weeks of the competition. 
• In a 1-month period, SU diverted over 2400lbs of electronics from the landfill.
• Our cumulative GHG reductions were equivalent to about 131 Metric Tons of CO2—which is the same as keeping 26 cars off the road, or the energy consumed by 11 households. 

For more details about the 2023 CR2ZW Competition, its categories, and the winners, please visit the 2023 Scoreboard.

What is Campus Race to Zero Waste?

Campus Race to Zero Waste (formerly Recyclemania) is an 8-week recycling competition happening January 29th through March 25th 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!

2023 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 1-month period

Upcoming Events & Important Dates

Campus Race to Zero Waste Competition Kick Off!

When: January 30th - February 3rd
Where: C-Street Market
Description: Learn about the CR2ZW Competition, SU’s recycling programs, our zero waste goals and more!

Recycling Stream Waste Audit

When: Wednesday, March 1st, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST
Where: Library Plaza
Description: Come watch SU’s recycling team audit our recycling stream and see how much recyclable material SU generates in 1 day.

10th Annual Community Recycling Day

When: Wednesday, March 8th, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST
Where: Bellarmine Turn-around (between Bellarmine Hall and Sullivan Hall)
Description: THE ANNUAL COMMUNITY RECYCLING DAY IS BACK… after some years on “pause” due to COVID. 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! For a full list of accepted items, see here. Volunteers will help unload heavy items.

Thank you for your support in making our campus SUstainable!

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 https://www.seattleu.edu/cejs/campus-sustainability/compost--recycling/