By ALEX SILVERMAN
KIRO Radio

Empty the trash yourself, or let it pile up.

That word's gone out to all University of Washington employees. It's the latest way the UW's thought up to deal with budget cuts.

Building services director Gene Woodard said his department's budget has been cut 25 percent, and he has lost 50 custodians in the past 2 years.

"It has allowed the custodial staff to do more critical cleaning activities, like vacuuming and disinfecting," Woodard said.

According to Woodard the program actually began 2 years ago, when the UW purchased the Safeco building, now the University Tower. Employees there were asked to take care of their own trash in an effort to reduce the amount of waste they generated.

At first, some employees were hesitant, "but after a short period of time, it's been well-accepted," Woodard said, and the program has been expanded campus-wide.

The UW joins universities, municipalities and corporations nationwide who have cut down on costs by putting trash responsibilities in employees' hands, reports the Wall Street Journal.

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