RECYCLE MANIA

1
RECYCLE MANIA
Recycling at Southwest Missouri State

• NRC 23rd Annual Congress Exposition
• Stan Van Velsor

2
Presentation Outline

• History of recycling at SMSU
• Residence Life and Services recycling program
• SMSU experience with Recycle Mania
• Campus-wide impact of Recycle Mania
• Goals for the future

3
History of Recycling At SMSU

• Missouri Legislative Directives
• Missouri Solid Waste Management Law of 1972
• -Required local governments to plan and implement
  sound solid waste management practices
  
• Missouri Solid Waste Management Law Amended in
  1990
  
• -Emphasized integrated waste management hierarchy
  
  
• -Promoted diverting 40 of waste stream

4
History of Recycling (Continued)

• Solid waste reduction and recycling began in 1990
  at SMSU
  
• SMSU met basic requirements of legislation
• Approximately 5 of waste stream diverted
  annually
  
• Solid waste management seen as low priority
• Waste hauling costs relatively inexpensive
• Lack of awareness campus-wide and in Springfield
  community
  
• Waste managed by three administrative units
• Academic services
• Residence Life and Services
• Student Union

5
Materials Recycled At SMSU

• Academic Services -- primarily for employees
• White paper only
• Cardboard
• Co-mingled (i.e., aluminum cans and plastic
  bottles)
  
• Plaster Student Union employees only
• All paper products (e.g. magazines, colored
  paper, newspaper)
  
• Cardboard
• Residence Life and Services -- employees and
  4,000 students
  
• All paper products (e.g. magazines, colored
  paper, newspaper)
  
• Cardboard
• Co-mingled (i.e., aluminum cans, plastic bottles,
  and glass)
  

6
Residence Life Pre-Recycle Mania

• Recycling Program Components
• Recycle bins on every residence hall floor
• Collection by custodial staff
• Level of administrative commitment
• Its the right thing to do
• Passive recycling program
• No active outreach and education program in
  place
  
• Approximately 8 of waste stream diverted by
  recycling

7
Increase In Level of Recycling

• Recycling levels increased over 10-week
  competition
  
• SMSU received Most Improved Award
• -2 lbs/student/week during first 4 weeks vs. 3
  lbs/student/week during last 4 weeks
  
• Increased waste stream diversion from 8 to 16
• High standards to strive for in coming years
• SMSU total
• -25 lbs/student during 10-week competition
• Miami University of Ohio total
• -58 lbs/student during the 10-week competition

8
Actions Taken To Increase Recycling

• Employed students as Recycling Coordinators
• Collected recyclables and conducted education and
  outreach activities
  
• Reduced level of contamination
• Increased outreach and education activities
• Resident Assistants became actively involved
• Recycle Mania competition publicized in Campus
  local newspapers
  
• Competition promoted in residence halls with
  signs, charts posters
  
• Initiated collection of materials previously not
  recycled
  
• Dining Services began recycling tin

9
Impact on Campus-Wide Recycling

• Campus Union initiating public recycling
• Bins for all paper and co-mingled
• Addition of new materials to recycle stream
• Dining Services began collecting tin
• Other University units contributing non-white
  paper
  
• Savings on waste hauling cost realized
• Reduction in number of waste pickups
  approximately 3,000
  

10
Impact on Campus (Continued)

• Increase in community awareness
• Numerous faculty and staffed sought involvement
• Local businesses requested information
• Increase in student activism
• Student Government Association and Residence Hall
  Association became involved in furthering
  recycling
  

11
Recycling Goals for 2004-05

• Establish waste reduction as high priority issue
• Form campus-wide task force composed of staff,
  students and faculty
  
• Gain support from university administration
• Increase campus-wide recycling effort
• Increase availability of recycling bins
  campus-wide
  
• Initiate campus-wide outreach and education
  program
  
• Renegotiate waste removal contract
• Achieve a waste stream diversion rate of 30
  campus-wide
  
• Win Recycle Mania in 2005