GO FOR THE GREEN
Go for the Green is a month-long energy-saving competition between residential communities at Western. During the month of February, on-campus communities compete to see who can reduce the most energy consumption compared to previous years. Learn more at Go for the Green!
OUR MISSION
The Housing Sustainability program aims to provide on-campus residents with educational programming and initiatives that value and prioritize sustainability in the residential experience. In alignment with Western’s Sustainability Action Plan and University Residences Initiative for Student Engagement (URISE), our programming is designed to prepare students for life after on-campus living, educate students on sustainability, reduce on-campus waste, and help students save money through programs like the Resident Checkout Program.
Western's Sustainability Action Plan
"Western inspires graduates who create a sustainable world by integrating social, economic, and ecological justice (SEE) practices into their lives..." and fosters "an appreciation and understanding of the impact of human choices on people around the world and the planet itself."
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EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT
Western’s Sustainability Action Plan, adopted in September 2017, guides action and promotes accountability for sustainability initiatives around campus. Residence hall education aims to improve student's understanding of wellness in line with the Sustainability Action Plan’s four “pillars”, by expanding student's awareness of how local actions can impact global ecology, social equity, economic vitality, and human health.
The goal of Housing Sustainability's educational programming is to prepare on-campus residents for life beyond Western by providing resources that can build habits to save money, make a positive impact on the environment, and promote personal wellness. By combining educational and interactive activities, we offer on-campus residents a holistic sustainability education alongside their residence hall experience.
Education and engagement in the residence halls use sustainability education to build inclusive communities through interactive activities, aid in career preparedness by promoting critical thinking and promote personal wellness, all in line with URISE's goals for on-campus communities.
Event Calendar for 2024-2025
Fall 2024
Winter 2025
Spring 2025
Awareness Tabling

WHEN: October 29th & 30th 5-7pm
WHERE: Each Dining Hall Location
Find us in the dining halls around campus to learn about how we support residents! Earn candy and enter our raffle by participating in our interactive poll.
Plant It Forward

WHEN: January 22nd at 5pm
WHERE: Viking Union Multi-Purpose Room
Bring an upcycled container to repurpose into a planter, take home a free plant, and learn how to reduce your footprint while pledging to Go for the Green! Earn points for your residence hall by pledging, attending events, and putting energy saving habits into action!
Clothing Swap

WHEN: April 17th, 2-4 PM
WHERE: Viking Union Multi-Purpose Room
Celebrate the Go for the Green finale and combat fast fashion! Join us for our annual Clothing Swap; bring your clothes to trade for new-to-you favorites! The winning residence hall will be announced, and prizes will be raffled off to Go for the Green participants.
Green Your Gathering

WHEN: November 18th-22nd
WHERE: Housing Sustainability IG
Follow along on our Instagram to learn about ways to make your gatherings more sustainable this holiday season! Answer the prompts in the caption of our daily posts to enter the raffles for gift cards to local businesses!
Go for the Green Tabling

WHEN: January 9th and 15th, Bi-Weekly January 29th - April 16th
WHERE: Viking Commons Dining Hall
Pledge to Go for the Green and join the conversation about sustainability with our HFA's. The more you engage, the more points you earn for your community! All pledgers receive a pledge poster and sticker pack to display on their door.
Water Wise Week

WHEN: May 27th-30th
WHERE: Scavenger hunt on IG!
Join the campus-wide scavenger hunt by following along on our Instagram! Search for reusable water bottles hidden around campus, each containing flyers and gift certificates.
Past Events in 2023-2024







Food & Recovery Drive

WHEN: June 2nd-13th
WHERE: TBD
Don't toss your unwanted items when you move out! Donate them to the Residence Hall Reuse program to help future residents and support the community. We collect room essentials, food, hygiene products and cleaning supplies for others to reuse. Remaining items are donated to WWU's WHOLE Pantry, Soap for Hope, and other local nonprofits.
RESIDENT CHECKOUT PROGRAM

When moving on campus, residents have access to a large inventory of over 2,100 suggested on-campus essentials valued at almost $52,000, available for checkout through the academic year free of charge.
The Resident Checkout Program offers both short- and long-term items, for a wide range of essentials available to all students living on-campus. Before buying items for your stay in the residence halls, check what’s available through RCP for free!
RESIDENCE HALL COMPOSTING
Western's program is one of the first residence hall composting programs in the nation. All on-campus residents are supplied with the resources, education, and support they need to compost effectively.
There are several outdoor compost waste “toters” located in each residential community Waste Dropoff Areas, where residents can deposit their compostable materials. We recommend that you empty your composting bucket once a week and before session breaks and ends.
Additional education and engagement activities for composting etiquette and food waste will be provided throughout the year to facilitate effective composting within the residence halls. Events like the Sustainability Extravaganza, UR Facilities Amenities and Offerings, and DIY(Do It Yourself) low-waste swaps Makerspace activities are offered to provide community-oriented learning spaces for students to expand their knowledge about food waste reduction. In addition, weekly audits of compost toters determine compost contamination levels in each residence hall and inform composting curriculum for the year.
Each resident's room/suite is equipped with a composting bucket, an instructional sheet, an instructional sticker, and a roll of biodegradable liners. Birnam Wood and Buchanan Towers house one compost bin per apartment/suite to be kept in the kitchen area of each apartment/ suite. Students are supplied with 25 liners per bin each quarter, so it is recommended that students use liners only for their compost bins. Residents can contact their front desk staff to acquire additional liners if needed.
COMPOST 101
Composting correctly is important to create a sustainable world. If our compost is too contaminated, the load will be thrown into the landfill, negating the benefit to the environment and our urban spaces.
Compostable | Not Compostable - Contaminated Materials |
Vegetables, fruit (all parts) | PLU stickers (labels on vegetables & fruits) |
Meat, bones | Fat, grease, excessive oil |
Tea bags, coffee filters | Rubber bands & twist ties |
Coffee grounds | Plastic, metal |
Dairy | Plastic-lined paper (paper cups, some takeout containers) |
Compostable plates, utensils, takeout boxes with proper labels | Food soiled plastic |
Food soiled paper towels & cardboard | Cardboard & paper without grease stains |
Not all 'compostable' advertised materials are actually compostable. When determining if a material is compostable or not, look for food stains & these labels.


Food scraps & soiled paper can be composted, see chart above for specifics

All cups & containers from campus dining locations are compostable EXCEPT FOR STARBUCKS
RECYCLE 101
Recycling supports our path to a sustainable future. If recycling is sorted incorrectly, it damages our crucial solid waste systems, slowing our progress to a clean and livable world.
Whatcom county’s recycling is separated into five streams, meaning you have to sort your recycling.
These streams are:
- Plastic
- Tin and aluminum
- Glass
- Mixed paper
- Flattened carboard
This can be confusing for new arrivals. Refer to recycling signage around the waste drop-off areas for help sorting your waste. Just like in any other place, food is not recyclable. Cleaning your recyclables by washing them thoroughly reduces contamination. It is also important to separate different materials in a single product, like removing plastic from envelopes, removing bottlecaps, and removing plastic pumps. If the recycling is too contaminated, it gets thrown into the landfill.
Plastic Sorting

Clean plastic bottles, cups, jugs, tubs
Paper Sorting

Cardboard, paper bags, newspaper, office paper
Aluminum Sorting

Clean aluminum & tin cans
Flattened Cardboard

Collapsed & flattened cardboard only
Glass Sorting

Clean glass bottles & jars
Non-recyclable Trash

Do not recycle plastic bags, plastic film, tetra pak (milk cartons)
Program Benefits
- Develops practices that build autonomy and prepare students for off-campus living.
- Promotes a consistent culture of sustainable waste management across campus.
- Pairs with educational programming to increase awareness on the social, economic, and ecological benefits of composting.
- Reduces landfill waste, which diminishes greenhouse gasses released by landfills and protects ecosystems near landfills.
- Converts potential landfill waste into a useful product sold in local communities.
Opting Out:
Residence hall composting is an “opt-out” program, which means all residents will automatically be supplied with the resources to compost successfully on campus. However, if residents choose not to compost, they are encouraged to keep their clean, empty bin stored in their room, such as in a closet or under a bed. Damage or loss of compost bins will result in a fine to your Western Account.
Contact Us
Have questions about our programs or offerings? Email us at residencesfacilities@wwu.edu.
Follow our Instagram @wwuhousingsustainability for regular program updates!