UW students score low in composting, recycling

BY Dan Restione  on December 19, 2012 @ 2:46 pm (Updated: 4:34 pm - 12/19/12 )

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UW students are not getting a passing grade in their knowledge of what can be recycled. (AP Photo/file) | Zoom
Forget about solving Fermat's Theorem, outlining the social messages in Charles Dickens' "Little Doritt," or mastering computer coding in HTML, University of Washington students are far from getting a passing grade when it comes to knowing what can be put in the recycling or compost.

UW Today reports a study by archeology graduate student Jack Johnson, who leads the "UW Garbology Project," found only 5 percent of the stuff thrown out on the Seattle campus was truly trash, all the rest of it could have been recycled or composted.

Johnson and his team spent five days going through the stuff in two big kiosks that included trash, recyclable, and compost bins.

Trash bins showed the most "inappropriate" content - most of which should have been in the composting bins - and Johnson says the recycling bins also contained a lot of waste that could have been composted.

The study concluded that improving that situation through more composting bins and better education wouldn't just help the planet, it would save the UW significant money since disposing of trash costs $90 per ton more than compost.

Dan Restione, KIRO Radio Producer
After signing on at News Talk 97.3 KIRO FM back in the waning days of the 1980's, Dan's worked his way up from the ranks- working as Desk Assistant, Morning Editor, Afternoon Editor, and Reporter.
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Comments (6)


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  • murr wrote...
    Well we can fix this
    December 19, 2012 2:26 pm
    Ban all food on campus, then their will be no food on campus.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • monkeyal wrote...
    The homeless should be turned loose
    December 19, 2012 3:23 pm
    on the UW campus and surrounding streets just to round up all of those soda and beer aluminum cans and turn them in at the Recycling Depot down on Rainier Ave. and Dearborn near Goodwill as they fetch about $.45 cents per pound.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • lemmelone wrote...
    Heh.
    December 19, 2012 3:26 pm
    Well...those kids are still kids. They would rather make the easy toss rather than wander around and look for a "better alternative", if one were available.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    YES
    December 19, 2012 5:14 pm
    A little bit of rebellion against mindless big brother government! Throw your garbage right on the ground or in the street. Ignore the stupid soul-sucking moron containers....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • soo purletiv wrote...
    The city of tree huggers
    December 19, 2012 7:16 pm
    fail to hug trees appropriately.

    Like they say: All talk and no do (or should I say: DUE).......

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Ok
    December 19, 2012 8:36 pm
    This makes my laugh! HAHAHAHAHAHA ! Way to go Liberal- Green, Tree Hugging Washington parents....HAHAHAHAHAHA
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }