CAMPUS RECYCLING

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CAMPUS RECYCLING

• Aubrey Eggertsen
• Heather Hooker

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Participating Campus Organizations

• TUVAC -- Trinity University Voluntary Action
  Center
  
• Our program provides recycling on campus and
  is dedicated to creating a stronger bond with the
  San Antonio community through voluntary clean-up
  services of public areas (parks, rivers, lakes,
  etc.) The entire program works with ASR and ENACT
  to help promote eco-friendly actions and
  environmental education at Trinity (TU
  website).
• ENACT Student run organization that promotes the
  ideas of sustainable development and ecological
  wellbeing.
  
• PHYSICAL PLANT Area of the University that
  promotes recycling by supporting TUVAC and ENACT
  initiatives and collecting recyclable items.

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TUVAC

• Collects 1 and 2 plastics from campus
  residential housing and Mabee Dining Hall.
  
• 1 Plastic Soft drinks, water and beer bottles,
  mouthwash bottles, peanut butter containers, and
  salad dressing containers.
  
• 2 Plastic Juice, water and milk containers,
  liquid detergent bottles, yogurt and margarine
  tubs, and cereal box liners.

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Precautions

• Bottles must be separated from other garbage
• When trash is found in a recycling container for
  bottles, the trash is considered contaminates
  and all of the bottles are consequently thrown
  out.
• To prevent this occurrence, physical plant places
  the recycling containers for bottles furthest
  from the door, because people tend to throw their
  trash in the nearest receptacle.

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Where Does TUVACTake the Bottles?

• BFI-ACCO Recycling Center
• A holding facility that sells recyclable
  items (i.e. bottles) from Trinity, before they
  are sent to a separate plant.
  
• What does Trinity get in return?
• Trinity donates the bottles without making a
  profit as a voluntary measure to promote reuse of
  the schools resources.
  

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BFI-ACCO Recycling Center
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ENACT

• Student run organization that promotes the ideas
  of sustainable development and ecological
  wellbeing.
  
• ENACT collects paper in all of the academic
  departments.
  
• All paper is then taken to the sociology
  department. From here, the paper is turned into
  recycled notebooks that have cereal box covers.
  These can be purchased by students on campus in
  the bookstore.

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PHYSICAL PLANT

• Area of the University that promotes recycling by
  supporting TUVAC and ENACT initiatives to collect
  recyclable items.
  
• They Collect the following from dorms and
  academic buildings
  
• cans
• paper
• phone books
• ink cartridges (only academic buildings)
• Recycled water system, currently through SAWS

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Cans

• Cans-
• Collected in dispensers throughout campus, found
  primarily in residence halls and administrative
  buildings.
  
• Held at the physical plant and taken to Newell
  Recycling Plant on an as needed basis. Newell
  pays Trinity for the aluminum by the pound.

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Paper

• Paper-
• collected twice a week from designated bins in
  dorms, the post office, and academic buildings.
  The custodial service takes the paper to the
  paper retriever located either in South or Winn
  parking lots.
• The Abitibi company provides the paper retriever
  and collects the paper to be recycled.
  

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Abitibi Company
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Recycled Water

• During the fall 2000 academic year, San Antonio
  water systems (SAWS) completed a branch of the
  recycled water project which allows Trinity
  University to use Type I recycled water for
  landscaping, cooling towers, and for fountains on
  campus.
• Type I Treated waste water from the city, and it
  is non-potable.
  

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SAWS Water Recycling Process
SAWS website
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Purple Pipeline

• The current water recycling plan through SAWS
  delivers 35,000 feet of clean recycled water to
  commercial and industrial users throughout the
  city.
• The purple pipeline is a 64-mile pipeline
  around the entire city of San Antonio, which
  delivers recycled water to customers for
  non-drinking purposes.

SAWS website
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Recycled Water Project

• This project started in 1997 with the intent of
  reducing the use of the Edwards Aquifer this is
  where San Antonio acquires all of its water.
  
• The intent of the project was to reduce water
  demanded on the aquifer by 20.
  
• The recycled water project is not the only step
  the University has taken toward water
  conservation. Restrictions are currently in place
  that prevent watering established landscape on
  campus between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. In addition,
  water conserving shower heads have now been
  installed in all dorms, and low flow toilets have
  been installed in public restrooms. (physical
  plant)

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University Benefits to Using Recycled Water

• Reduces strain on Edwards Aquifer
• Sanctions imposed by the city during dry seasons
  will no longer affect University landscaping.
  
• Although the University had to pay an upfront fee
  to install the water system, the monthly water
  costs are reduced using non-potable water for
  landscaping.
• Collaborating with other organizations to set a
  positive example for San Antonio and beyond.

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SAWS Stated Benefits

• Benefits according to SAWS
• protection of public health from waterborne
  disease
  
• protection of the natural environment and the
  wildlife that depends on it
  
• protection of downstream water supplies
• removal of toxic and hazardous materials that
  might accumulate in the environment
  
• protection of water sources for recreational use
  
  
• SAWS website

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Recycling Centers on Campus

• Main locations on Trinitys Campus
• Residential Housing
• Academic Buildings
• Dining services
• Mabee Dining Hall
• Coates

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Residential Housing

• TUVAC picks up bottles
• tear only cans placed in each room
• Garbage is taken by physical plant

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Academic Buildings

• Receptacles found periodically in buildings for
  bottles and cans.
  
• Paper is collected in department offices, as well
  as tear only cans in some classrooms.

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Mabee vs. Coates

• Coates
• There are no recycling receptacles inside Coates
  for bottles and cans.
  
• Paper can be recycled through the post office
  (main source of contamination), however not in
  the main eating area.
  
• All plastic bags that are unused at the end of
  each night are cut up and thrown away, rather
  than reused or recycled.

• Mabee
• A cooperative effort by Armark and TUVAC to
  recycle bottles and cardboard.
  
• Aramark must remove all bottle caps before the
  bottles can be recycled.

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Is Recycling Worth It?

• Students speak out each year on whether or not
  organized recycling on campus is worth the time
  and effort, especially if Trinity is not
  reimbursed by recycling companies for their
  donations.
• Measured from the semi-annual face-offs,
  students on Trinitys campus have a wide range of
  opinions and reasons for their support or
  objection the toe question, Is recycling worth
  it?

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Recycling is Imperative

• At the spring of 1999 face-off , two major views
  were presented by Trinity students.
  
• The following is in support of recycling
• Biology major and sophomore Stephanie Coster
  stated, With environmental crises such as global
  warming, deforestation, pollution and species
  decline sparking fear and anxiety about the
  future of life on Earth, I realize that it is
  hard to see how recycling can make a significant
  impact in helping the environment. However,
  recycling is totally worth it because recycling
  is where the individual can take a stand and make
  a difference. Recycling saves resources, saves
  energy, saves the environment, saves money, is
  good business and, last but certainly not least,
  it just feels good.
• 1999 face-off article

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The Cost Outweighs the Benefit

• The following is a statement against recycling
• Junior Economics and Political Science major
  Neal Fann stated, Think wisely before assuming
  costless benefits associated with a perceived
  good. Recycling has a cost which may be greater
  than its benefit. Take, for example, an instance
  in which a recycling plant is powered by an oil
  burning electricity generator. Looking only at
  the recycling center, we see a pure societal
  good. Having factored in the power plant,
  societal costs from air pollution may exceed
  societal benefit from reduced landfill use.
• 1999 face-off article

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Education About Conservation

• Earth Day
• Held to inform students and faculty of the
  importance of conserving resources and the
  recycling services on campus.
  
• Environmentalists in the School
• Sponsored by ENACT
• Teaches about biodiversity and recycling in
  grades 4-6 to students throughout San Antonio.

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Recycling at Incarnate Word

• Program is called Recycling Program
• Has had many names and much student involvement,
  however each of the past programs have failed to
  be maintained or improved, and the program is now
  run through the administration.
• Students do not have the option to recycle on
  campus unless they take paper to a receptacle
  found outside some academic buildings.
  
• Bottles and cans are not recycled anywhere on
  campus.
  
• Paper can be recycled by faculty, however it is
  their job to take their own paper out to a
  receptacle.
  
• The Abitibi company provides the paper retriever
  and collects the paper to be recycled.

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Final Thoughts

• Ways we think TU can improve the recycling
  system
  
• Bringing awareness to students about the
  locations of receptacles and the criteria for
  their contents.
  
• Add trash cans to the entrances of Coates and
  recycling receptacles to the eating area.