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November 18, 2009. Recycling workgroup meeting. Give & Go Move-Out Program. A collaborative, campus-wide effort!. With support from: Department of Student Activities The College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Off Campus Student Services Central Stores Facilities Management
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November 18, 2009 Recycling workgroup meeting
Give & Go Move-Out Program A collaborative, campus-wide effort! • With support from: • Department of Student Activities • The College of Agriculture & Natural Resources • Off Campus Student Services • Central Stores • Facilities Management • Department of Parking and Transportation Services • Willimantic Waste • U-HAUL • Organizing Committee: • Department of Residential Life • Office of Community Outreach • Town of Mansfield • Green Grads • Department of Dining Services • Office of Environmental Policy
Program Overview • Tuesday (5/5) – Friday (5/8): 10 collection sites staffed from 10:00am-5:00pm. • Saturday (5/9) – Sunday (5/10): 4 collection sites were open. • All goods were transported to the Ratcliffe Hicks Arena for storage, sorting, and pick-up and/or delivery.
Results: • Total Collected: 9,000 lbs. • Major categories included: • Furniture: 2,747 lbs. • Appliances: 1,259 lbs. • Area rugs: 1,740 lbs. • Non-perishable foods: 791 lbs. • Clothing & Shoes: 722 lbs. • Assorted linens: 278 lbs.
Green Game Day at Rentschler Field Saturday, September 26. UConn vs. URI
Bag Count (Third Quarter) 210 bags x 40 cans per bag (on average) = 8,400 cans 8,400 cans x $.05 = $420.00 This represents only a small fraction of what we stand to capture.
Sustainable Offices Program Currently 13 offices participating in various stages
Waste Audits 2009 What is the UConn community really recycling?
Past Audits • 2005: UConn hired Haley & Aldrich to conduct waste audits of three on-campus buildings: • North Dining Hall • W.B. Young Building • Hale Dormitory • Led to a set of recommendations which served as the basis for recent infrastructural improvements
2009 Audits: Goals • Use these audits as a tool to examine our current recycling program • Measure its effectiveness • Make suggestions for improvements • Use the audits as PR • Make a sign to put up while we’re elbow-deep in trash to publicize what we’re doing and why we’re doing it (inspired by the confused looks we got at our first audit)
Audit Locations • Library – already complete! • Academic Buildings (Arjona, Young) • Research Buildings (MSB, BSP) • Office Buildings (CUE, Wilbur Cross) • Gym • Residence Hall/Apartment Buildings: already being audited on a more informal scale by EcoHouse, so we will use their observations to make suggestions
General Procedure • Get permission to do the audit!! • Locate central garbage drop • Pull out representative number of bags (1/3-1/2 of large dumpster) • Sort waste into categories • Weigh/record each category • Count # of recyclables per category to quantify significant trends (e.g. # plastic bottles, # hot beverage sleeves)
Categories of waste • Fiber/Mixed Paper • Metal (aluminum cans, other metals) • Plastics (bottles, bags, other plastics) • Compost • E-waste • Reusable materials (e.g. clothing, office supplies, unopened food) • Non-recyclables/trash
Reporting Results • Percent of waste stream that was recyclable • Develop set of recommendations specific to each building • Calculate potential reductions in our GHG emissions from proper recycling
Our First Audit: Homer Babbidge Library • Monday, Nov 9, 2009, 2-3:30pm, Loading zone at the back of the library (high foot traffic) • Audited about 10 large trash bags
Newspapers and Plastic Drink Bottles!! Cardboard drink sleeves!!
The Co-Op Cares Bag Program • “Wooden nickel” program • 100,000 bags saved to date • $3200.00 donated to various charities • Has served as a model for other college bookstores • Possibilities for expansion across campus?
Expansion of E-Waste Collection • Collection now available in all residential areas across campus! • Mainly in mailrooms and Hall Directors’ offices • Monthly collection by OEP interns • Reimbursement from Think Recycle for selected materials • Cell phones • Inkjet Cartridges • Laser Cartridges
Outdoor Recycling Bin Grant • Worked with Dr. Narasimhan Srinivasan (Marketing) to write a grant for $4000 towards new outdoor recycling bins • “Fulbright Canada Eco-Leadership Program” grant for former Fulbright scholars • Still waiting to hear back!
Discussion: • Implications of availability of single stream recycling • University Catering does not currently provide recycling at events. Can we change this? • Other?