Behind the Scenes with the UWM Office of Sustainability - Sat @ 11 am

From plastic film recycling and composting, to a campus orchard and eight green roofs, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee engages students in meaningful sustainability efforts all year round. Led by the Office of Sustainability, the ripple effects of sustainability can be felt throughout campus, indoors and out. Around the campus landscape, over 15 green infrastructure features capture 16.5 million gallons of stormwater annually. Behind the scenes, students and staff use four different composting methods - including a brand new semi-industrial compost drum! - to divert over 100,000 pounds of food waste from the landfill annually. Departments voluntarily recycle plastic film, such as plastic grocery bags and pallet wrap, through a brand new plastic film recycling program which helped UWM earn the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Recycling Excellence Award in 2025. In the classroom, students learn about challenges such as food insecurity and habitat degradation. Beyond the classroom, students bring their sustainability ideas to life.
On this tour, you will explore campus with expert sustainability staff: watch behind the scenes operations of our new semi-industrial composting drum, learn about the Office of Sustainability's 32 different recycling streams, visit pollinator gardens and the campus orchard, and explore a green roof where students are actively growing food for the UWM food center.

Tours meet in the UWM Architecture and Urban Planning Building (2131 E Hartford Avenue), on the first floor in the Marcus Commons.

Note: the tour includes approximately 1 mile total distance and 3 flights of stairs to optionally access the green roof; other than the stairs, the tour is accessible.