U Florida Increases Recycling During Football Season
The University of Florida has completed its 2009 Tailgator Green Team Recycling effort. This year, the stadium added more Green Team volunteers and increased access to recycling, with a recycling bin for each trashcan within the stadium. The program captured nearly four tons of recyclables per game. Over 190 volunteers donated more than 600 hours over the seven home games.
U Wisconsin Madison Students Work to Increase Composting
Students in University of Wisconsin, Madison’s School of Business are taking a class that focus on environmentally sound business practices. A recent project focused on increasing the amount of composting being done in the School’s dining hall by educating diners. Students in the course also work with local businesses to help them become more sustainable.
Luther College Begins Vermicomposting Program
Luther College (IA) students have started disposing of food waste in worm composting bins installed in seven residence halls by students from the Luther Sustainability program. The process, known as vermicomposting, allows students to place their fruit and vegetable food waste, as well as shredded newspapers, paper receipts, and old class notes in the compost bins where red worms will convert it to organic matter. Once the waste is converted to vermicompost, it will be used to fertilize the Luther Gardens.
Suffolk U Buys Biodegradable Cutlery, Begins Composting Program
The Suffolk University (MA) Sustainability Committee has worked with its dining company to purchase biodegradable cutlery and straws and has launched a composting program in its dining hall. Student volunteers will be available to raise awareness about how to participate. The organics will be stored in air-tight containers and regularly delivered to an area farm to be turned into compost and sold.
U Idaho Establishes Electronic Waste Guidelines
The University of Idaho has developed a process for eco-friendly electronics disposal. E-waste must now be sent to recycling centers or put back into the market for reuse. All e-waste from the university’s main campus will be sent to a vendor, who will recycle the materials and certify that they are handled in the most environmentally-friendly manner possible.
Washington U in St. Louis Moves to Single-Stream Recycling
Washington University in St. Louis (MO) has implemented single-stream recycling throughout the Danforth, West, North and South campuses. Waste bins are now labeled either "Recycling" or "Landfill." Comingled recyclable items will be sorted off-campus by a vendor. The University hopes this new, simpler way to recycle waste will improve recycling in general.
Slippery Rock U Greens Graduation
Slippery Rock University (PA) students will be sporting green gowns at their graduation this year. The gowns will be made at of GreenWeaver fabric, which is made out of plastic bottles. Each gown saves about 23 plastic bottles from entering a landfill and is expected to only cost students $3 more.
Appalachian State U Grads to Wear Eco-Friendly Gowns
Students graduating in December 2009 from Appalachian State University (NC) will be the first on campus to wear a graduation gown made of fiber from renewable and sustainably-managed forests. The gown and its plastic packaging have been constructed to decompose in a landfill in a reasonably short period of time, according to the manufacturers. The eco-friendly gown costs only $3 more than last year's polyester gown.
New York U Bans Bottled Water from Dining Halls
New York University Dining Services' Kimmel Market Place and Upstein Dining Hall have removed bottled water from their meal plan options. The two locations now provide compostable cups made from plant materials to students who wish to drink water or fountain soda.
Rose-Hulman Inst of Technology Bookstore Uses Recyclable Bags
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s (IN) bookstore has begun using recyclable shopping bags in an effort to reduce waste. Every student, faculty, and staff member received a free shopping bag in the mail the week before the new policy went into effect.
U Texas, Northwestern U Students Win 2009 Net Impact Re-Source Challenge
Undergraduate students in the University of Texas’ McCombs School of Business and graduate students in Northwestern University’s (IL) Kellogg School of Management shared first place in the 2009 Net Impact Re-Source Challenge. The Challenge asked students for innovative solutions to boost PET recycling rates on college campuses. Northwestern was also named 'Chapter of the Year' based on its accomplishments in management, activities, membership, impact, and Net Impact network.
Wallace CC Student Government Launches Recycling Campaign
Wallace Community College’s (AL) student government association has launched a campaign to recycle paper and a program to collect old cell phones. The group has placed paper recycling bins and cell phone collection bins around campus. The phones will be repurposed for military personnel use oversees.
Montana State U Ramps Up Recycling Program
Montana State University’s Environmental Awareness Club and student government have partnered to increase the number of recycling bins around campus. Coca-Cola donated a number of 55-gallon barrels and lids to be used as recycling bins and worked with students to convert the barrels to recycling bins.
U Shady Grove Starts Composting
The Universities at Shady Grove (MD) have begun a composting initiative in its kitchen operations. The trial composting program started earlier this fall and has already composted over 1,900 pounds of waste. The composting bins, which are collected three times per week, are taken to a local composting facility off-site where the material is turned into mulch.
Fairfield U Students Earn Money for Recycling
Fairfield University (CT) has installed four new recycling machines on campus. The recycling machines are a “reverse vending” machine, so that when students deposit a glass, plastic, or aluminum beverage container, the machine adds five cents to the student’s campus account, which can be used for food, books, laundry, and other campus expenses.
Angelo State U Starts Recycling Program
The Angelo State University (TX) Campus Recycling Committee has launched a new recycling program on campus. The program will be managed by representatives from different departments.
U Idaho Increases Recycling, Reduces Waste
The University of Idaho has undertaken a number of initiatives this fall to reduce waste on campus. The University’s PanHelennic and Interfraternity Councils have approved collecting recycling at tailgates as philanthropy and have begun been collecting recyclables at football games. The University handed out 1,500 reusable stainless steel water bottles to new students in an effort to reduce waste and increase environmental awareness. The University has also introduced multiple locations on campus where students can recycle their old cell phones and ink cartridges.
U Wisconsin La Crosse Implements Pay-to-Print Policy
University of Wisconsin, La Crosse has implemented a new pay-to-print policy to help reduce paper use and to cut rising printer-maintenance costs which usually reach $75,000 annually. Printing will cost students $0.06 per black and white page and $0.90 per color page. Printing charges will be tracked in a student account that can be managed online.
Drake U Switches to Single-Stream Recycling
Collaboration at Drake University (IA) between Drake Environmental Action League (DEAL), the Drake administration, and facilities management has developed a new method of recycling. With the help of a grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and matching funds from the University, a single stream recycling system is now in place. The new system allows students to recycle a wider variety of items, which are then picked up by a private company and sorted and sold to be reprocessed into new materials.
U Central Florida Offers Alternative to Buying Bottled Water
The University of Central Florida has equipped its water fountains with water bottle refilling stations in the Student Union. The Student Government Association provided the funding for the initiative which aims to reduce waste and help students save money by not having to purchase water. The water refill stations have built in filters to guarantee purified water.
U Western Ontario Changes Recycling Prgm to Increase Participation
The University of Western Ontario has signed a new contract with BFI Canada Ltd. that allows recycling bins to receive a wider range of materials. University officials hope the initiative will encourage students, faculty, and staff to recycle more since there will be less confusion around what can and cannot be recycled. There will also be new signage on bins to encourage recycling.
U Colorado Student Union Commits to Zero-Waste Student Gov't
As part of its ”˜Green Office Certification’, the University of Colorado Student Union (UCSU) has committed to becoming a zero-waste student government. UCSU has partnered with the CU Environmental Center, who has also gone zero-waste, in an effort to pilot a program that has the potential to be spread campus wide and reduce significant amounts of waste. The Student Union also plans to work with independent vendors in the facility to help them achieve the zero-waste standard UCSU will be putting in place for all of its buildings.
UConn Begins Recycling Program at Football Stadium
The University of Connecticut has partnered with Sodexo, which operates concessions at the University's football stadium, to implement a recycling program this season. There will be recycling bins in every suite and throughout the concourses for bottles and cans, food waste will be recycled, and cooking oil from fryers will be turned into biodiesel fuel.
Kenai Peninsula College Sustainability Club Expands Recycling Prgm
A recently formed student sustainability club at Kenai Peninsula College, a unit of the University of Alaska, Anchorage, has partnered with Facilities Maintenance to expand the campus recycling program to include mixed paper, plastic bottles, glass bottles, and aluminum cans. The group has also helped to introduce mixed recycling containers for all recyclables in campus classrooms.
Louisiana State U Welcome Event Features Composting & Recycling
Louisiana State University has announced that its welcome back celebration, which hosts more than 25,000 students, faculty, and staff, features composting and recycling for the first time this year. The effort, which aims to minimize the amount of waste produced by the event, offered food and drink containers that were either compostable or recyclable.
U Dayton Aims for 90% Waste Reduction
The University of Dayton (OH) has launched a new program to reduce the amount of waste headed to the landfill. To make sure each type of waste ends up in the proper place, dining services has removed waste and recycling containers from dining rooms and is routing all dishes and disposables to tray conveyors. Staff separates the trash, recycling, compostable material, and china in the kitchen. Cooks also will be trained on how to route meat scraps, produce trimmings, and other food waste to appropriate containers. The University's goal is to compost or recycle up to 90 percent of its dining facility waste this academic year. Throughout the first month of the program, the University has redirected nearly 27 tons of waste away from a landfill.
Mississippi State U Launches Game Day Recycling Program
Mississippi State University's Environmental Collaborative Office (ECO) has joined with the athletic department to promote game day recycling. MSU ECO has set up cardboard recycling boxes to collect aluminum, glass, and plastic at all home football games. The group will also provide tailgating bags on removable poles.
Purdue U Provides Desk-Side Recycling, Eliminates Desk-Side Trash
Purdue University (IN) has announced plans to expand its pilot desk-side recycling program to the entire campus to help boost recycling rates. The program, launched in one office building in July 2009, provides recycling bins at workers' desks, but requires them to walk to a central location to deposit trash. Within four weeks worker participation reached 99.5 percent and recycling volume doubled. The program is being expanded to six more buildings this semester.
St. Michael's College Institutes Faculty & Staff Recycling Program
St. Michael's College (VT) has begun a new program that aims to encourage faculty and staff to recycle. The night-time custodial crew now audits the contents of staff and faculty trash bins to make sure that they are not throwing away recyclable items. The custodial staff then reports their findings to the Sustainability Coordinator Heather Ellis, who sends the staff or faculty members in question an e-mail to determine the nature of the problem. If employees have repeat offenses, Ellis instructs the custodial staff to stop picking up their trash until they comply with the recycling program.
Texas State U Begins Composting in Dining Halls
Texas State University has begun the "Bobcat Blend" program, an initiative that offers closed-loop composting in campus cafeterias. Once the waste has decomposed, it is brought back to help fertilize campus flower beds and green space. The program was developed by a graduate horticulture student.
Temple U Receives EPA's Env'l Achievement Award
The Temple University (PA) Computer Recycling Center has received one of the 2009 Environmental Achievement Awards from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mid-Atlantic Region. The Center has recycled and rehabbed more than 27,000 computers, monitors, printers, and scanners since its inception in 2003. The Center is funded through income from a Temple policy that requires all Temple faculty and staff to pay a $50 recycling fee every time they purchase a computer through the University.
Bowdoin College Convocation Event Composts 100% of Waste
Bowdoin College (ME) has announced that it composted 100 percent of the trash and food waste at its annual lobster bake that follows Convocation. More than 1,800 guests were served approximately 1,256 lobsters, 78 gallons of Maine fish chowder, and 1,280 ears of corn on the cob. Bowdoin used compostable paper and biodegradable plastic products, eliminated plastic lobster bibs, offered bulk beverages to eliminate bottles, and eliminated individual packages of condiments. Dining staff manned each trash barrel location to make sure material would not be contaminated with non-compostable waste.
Macon State College Uses Materials from Old Buildings for New
Macon State College (GA) has begun demolishing three buildings to make room for its new School of Education. The brick and concrete from the demolished structures will be used in the construction of the new building and the metals will be recycled as scrap. Macon State estimates that the project will recycle approximately 85 to 90 percent of the materials from the old buildings.
SUNY Geneseo Holds Zero-Waste Welcome Picnic
The State University of New York at Geneseo has announced that its annual Welcome Picnic was a zero-waste event this year. Campus Auxiliary Services used compostable cups, plates, silverware, and napkins, and the food-service gloves and garbage bags were biodegradable. After the event, paper and food waste was collected and delivered to the compost pile on campus.
Appalachian State U Holds Yard Sale
Appalachian State University (NC) has completed its annual BIG Sale, a yard sale that sells items donated during move-out to the community and to students. Profits from the event, which totaled over $13,500, were donated to local nonprofits for energy efficiency. The program prevented approximately 52.5 tons of couches, rugs, lamps, shower caddies, and other dorm room items from entering the landfill.
Baylor U, Indiana U Hold Green Move-In
Baylor University (TX) and Indiana University have expanded their recycling efforts for the 2009 move-in. At Baylor, 40 student volunteers from the Entrepreneurship Engaged Learning Group helped to educate and assist parents and incoming students with recycling disposal. Students in residence halls also received an in-room mixed-use recycling box to recycle materials throughout the year. In addition, prior to move-in, students received tips and other information on how to make the move-in process more environmentally friendly. In all, Baylor collected 10.6 tons of recycling during move-in. IU placed giant dumpsters outside residence halls with signs promoting cardboard recycling. The University hoped to surpass the 12 tons of cardboard that was recycled last year. IU also placed compost bins near some dormitories on campus (the compost was used to help the Bloomington City Garden Project) and distributed hand-outs at orientation explaining what can be composted and recycled and the benefits of carrying a reusable water bottle.
Case Western Reserve U Installs Water Purification System
Case Western Reserve University (OH) has installed a water purification system at its Grab It Café to help reduce the need for bottled water on campus. The University estimates that switching to a purification system will eliminate 29,000 water bottles form the waste stream this year. The University has also distributed 1,200 reusable tote bags to incoming students to help reduce the need for plastic bags.
Mississippi State U, Georgia Tech Increase Game Day Recycling
Mississippi State University and Georgia Tech have launched programs that aim to increase recycling during home football games. MSU's "Keep it Clean: Green Gameday, Sustainable Season," developed by the Athletic Department and the University's Environmental Collaborative Office, seeks to encourage Bulldog fans and visitors to recycle aluminum, plastic, and glass and to be responsible for picking up tailgating trash. Georgia Tech has announced plans to expand its Game Day Recycling program, an initiative that started last year. New to the project this year are the "recycling ambassadors" that will work at the gates to help direct visitors to place recyclables in blue bins. The University plans to encourage student organizations to 'adopt-a-game' to help provide the 40 volunteers that will be needed for each football game.
Peninsula College Recycles Building Material
Peninsula College (WA) has begun the process to recycle or reuse approximately 95 percent of the materials from 4 buildings that were deconstructed on campus. A portion of the materials will be used in the construction of the College's new classroom building, which has been designed to meet LEED Silver standards.
San Antonio College Expands Campus Recycling
San Antonio College (TX) has announced plans to expand "GoGreen," the campus wide recycling program. The College will provide all participating buildings with recycling toters, or small recycling bins with wheels, that will be able to handle plastic, paper, glass, and aluminum. In conjunction with the 150 new toters, a compactor and recycling truck will now pick up recycled contents twice a week at participating buildings. Work-study “supervisors” will coordinate with participating GoGreen club officers once the locations of the drop-off toters are known. The program is expected to start this fall.
U Maryland History Department Goes Paperless
The University of Maryland History Department has gone paperless. All course syllabi and other documents will be available exclusively online. The Department has saved an estimated 40,000 sheets since the initiative began this summer.
U Pennsylvania Eliminates Junk Mail
University of Pennsylvania Mail Services has announced that it will no longer accept unsolicited mail from the U.S. Postal Service for redistribution to the college houses. Since 2007, Penn Mail Services has recycled "no value" mail, which is addressed to "occupant" or "resident." From this point forward, however, the U.S. Postal Service will stop delivering the junk mail to the University.
Northwest Missouri State U Introduces Reusable Shopping Bag Prgm
The Northwest Missouri State University Recycling Committee has introduced a cloth shopping bag program in an effort to reduce the volume of paper and plastic shopping bags that end up in landfills. The University plans to give away approximately 15,000 Bearcat-green bags to students, faculty, and staff during the 2009-10 academic year.
U Delaware Expands Recycling
The University of Delaware has expanded its single-stream recycling program to include the entire campus. Blue recycling containers marked with a "single-stream" logo are being placed next to every trash can on campus, in every residence hall, and in each office area. The new bins join the 2,300 that were added last fall when single-stream recycling was launched on the Laird and South campuses.
U Kansas Launches Litter Reduction Campaign
University of Kansas Recycling, the Center for Sustainability, and Facilities Operations and Housekeeping have launched the Campus Litter Reduction Campaign, a pilot program that aims to reduce the amount of trash on campus and to limit extra work for campus housekeeping. The initiative places a newspaper recycling bin, a plastic and aluminum bin, and a trash bin outside of nearly every classroom in three buildings on campus. All of the bins were relocated from other places on campus.
U Pennsylvania Graduation to Feature Recycled-Plastic Caps & Gowns
The University of Pennsylvania has announced that all caps and gowns at the 2010 commencement ceremony will be made of 100 percent, post-consumer, recycled plastic bottles. The fabric will be spun from molten plastic pellets, with an average of 23 bottles needed to make each gown. For every gown purchased, the company producing the outfits will make a contribution to the University's green fund.
Emory U Expands Recycling
Emory University (GA) has expanded its plastics recycling program to accept items with Plastic Identification Codes 1–6. Emory previously accepted only codes one and two.
Coastal Carolina U Expands Recycling Program
Coastal Carolina University (SC) has begun an initiative to expand its recycling efforts. Starting this fall, more recycling will be available in dorm rooms, at football games, and during move-in. Each dorm room will receive a yellow recycling bin and fliers and stickers will be available to inform students what can be recycled. Students will be responsible for collecting recyclable materials from each room.
California State U Monterey Bay Places Bins in Dorm Rooms
California State University, Monterey Bay has purchased 3,100 bright blue recycling bins for residence hall rooms on campus. Each bin comes with a guide that explains what kinds of materials to recycle and a reminder to carry the full bins to the new 6-yard blue recycling dumpsters that will be installed next to each 4-yard green waste dumpster already located near the residence halls. The University funded the purchase with a grant from the California Department of Conservation.
