UW Recycling recognized
A few employees from UW Recycling pose with the 2016 Recycler of the Year award: (L to R) David Speed, Dean Seaman, Erica Bartlett and Jessica Lisiewski.
UW Recycling, of Facilities Services' Building Services Department, is the proud recipient of a Washington State Recycling Association (WSRA) 2016 Recycler of the Year award.
The department was nominated within the Higher Education category by local vendor, Waste Management. UW Recycling formally received the award during the WSRA Awards Gala Banquet in Wenatchee, WA on May 17, 2016.
Each year, WSRA recognizes individuals, businesses, government agencies and community organizations for outstanding contributions in strengthening and expanding recycling and waste prevention across the state, as detailed in their award criteria. Nominations are reviewed and award recipients are selected by a committee of recycling professionals and community members.
“We are always incredibly impressed by the University of Washington’s dedication to sustainable materials management, as well as innovative programs and events that are provided to faculty, staff and students on campus,” said Joel Kohlstedt, Waste Management education and outreach coordinator. “We are proud to be a partner of UW and are happy to have the opportunity to attest to all of the hard work UW Recycling has put in to make the University an institution leader in our region,” said Kohlstedt.
“The WSRA is highly regarded by recycling industry professionals, so for our programs to be recognized by them as innovative and successful is quite humbling—it is such an honor to be recognized for this award,” said Emily Newcomer, assistant director of UW Recycling. “I am also very proud of the UW Recycling team. As a small but mighty group, I am consistently amazed and impressed by what the team accomplishes with such grace, enthusiasm, passion and professionalism. I am happy that an outside organization was able to recognize them in this capacity.”
UW Recycling oversees the University’s comprehensive Recycling & Solid Waste Management Plan, which includes waste reduction, collection and disposal. Additionally, UW Recycling facilitates administrative oversight of the UW’s contracted recycling and solid waste vendors and coordinates outreach efforts tailored to educate the campus community about recycling.
The UW Recycling team consists of five administrative team members, Erica Bartlett, Liz Gignilliat, Jessica Lisiewski, Allison Nitch and Emily Newcomer, and eight crew members, Chris Forbes, David Gipe, Ben Henkel, Ed Lyle, Phong Pham, David Speed, Don Sutherland, and Dean Seaman, that serve the entire campus.
