Reducing our waste stream by recycling
Facilities Services, the Campus Environmental Center, and the Office of Sustainability have teamed to reduce solid waste and improve landfill diversion through increased and improved recycling efforts.
By working with our local recycler, we are now able to collect and recycle plastics #1 through #7. Along with the plastics, we also recycle aluminum cans and paper/cardboard, providing them to the recycling contractor in a single stream.
In 2012 alone, we collected more than 1,100 tons of these materials, which were delivered to our local recycler for rebates. Our recycling improvements and waste reduction initiatives support the university Natural Resource Conservation Plan goal of diverting 90% of the total waste stream from the landfill by August 31, 2020, using a variety of methods including reuse and recycling.
More than 615 steel indoor recycling and solid waste bins have been deployed in university buildings on the Main and J. J. Pickle Research campuses to support our recycling efforts. Further, we have more than 65 outdoor recycling bins on both campuses for recycling collection. Additionally, we have expanded our recycling initiatives through the composting of animal bedding waste at four locations.
Full implementation of single stream recycling is expected to be complete by 2014. This means we will collect paper/cardboard, plastics #1 through #7, aluminum cans, and glass in single recycling bins--no more multiple bins will be required.