Developing and sustaining campus recycling operations

1. Developing and sustaining campus recycling operations Roger Guzowski 6/10/08

2. Stages of program development • Pre-program advocacy • Pilot program • Continued program • Sustainable program fully integrated into campus operations

3. Pilot Program Phase • Often just to prove there is enough material to justify a collection or prove that the material can be collected. • Typically utilizing any means or equipment necessary. • Budget typically very minimal • Factors such as efficiency, worker safety and aesthetics typically not yet fully adopted into program. • Typically requires extra level of commitment from workers/managers to make program work. • Designed to be very temporary.

4. Keys to advancing out of pilot program phase • Choose materials with high level of return – something that maximizes revenue, avoided disposal, or shows maximum reduction in liability. • Find way to invest all or a portion of that return back into the program to build the infrastructure. • Look for grants or other funding opportunities to fund costs of expanding infrastructure. • Develop plan for what the “final” program should look like.

5. Continued Program • This phase is the most dangerous phase in the development of the program. • Typically additional funding or support is given to the program, but not enough to get program to final stage of development. • If that money is used just to continue the pilot program, program is likely to stagnate and/or die. • Important to view this as transition phase toward developing that “final” sustained program that is integrated into daily operations.

6. Keys to advancing out of the “continued program” phase • Implement pieces with an eye to what final program would look like, even if it means going more slowly. • E.g. Buy semi-automated carts even if you don’t yet have a semi-automated hydraulic lifter. Though they might seem unnecessarily expensive now, if that is where you want to be in the future, it is far easier and more cost effective to justify the lifter at a future date if you already have the compatible carts. It will be far harder in the future to justify a hydraulic cart dumper if doing so means that you have to retool your program again to replace carts that you just bought. • Prepare to sell the “externalities” of the program. If you eventually get to the “final” phase vs. where you are now, what would be the positive impact on the following: • Worker safety • Worker morale & productivity • Aesthetics • Compliance with fire codes • Any positive affect toward attracting or retaining students.

7. Important philosophies to guide development of program.

8. One of the main keys to success is to not view trash and recycling as separate operations, but as interconnected parts of the same solid waste pie.

9. One of the failings of many campus recycling programs is that they try to duplicate existing waste collection efforts. • There are very few materials for which the value of the material will cover the cost of a separate campus-wide collection. • Remember, campus crews have been collecting recyclable materials since the inception of the campus. The problem is that they have been collecting those items as trash and discarding them as trash. • To sustainably collect material for recycling, you need to tweak your infrastructure. That way you can use your existing labor for collection and have a recycling program for little or no net costs. • Using such a methodology, there may be some startup costs, such as containers. However, there should be no (or almost no) ongoing net labor costs.

10. Another major key to success is to realize that the world is not made up of absolutes like “recyclers” and “non-recyclers.” Rather, there is a full spectrum of participation. As a general rule, the easier your program is to participate in and to understand, the more likely it is that more people will participate more often.

11. 4 biggest keys to successful Institutional Recycling • Immediate identification: People have to be able to tell in an instant what goes into a bin. • Parallel access: System has to be as convenient as trash for everyone in the process. • Trash also has to be located next to recycling to prevent recycling bins from being contaminated and dumped as trash as a result. • Dealing with surges in generation not just routine generation. • Re-informing folks about the system & dealing with high turnover in population.

12. Immediate identification: What is this bin for?

13. What is this bin for?

14. Immediate identification What goes in this bin?

15. Remember, if the recycling system is not as easy as throwing something in the trash, somewhere along the line, your recyclable materials will find their way into the trash. Parallel Access:Convenience is not just about waste generators. A recycling system needs to be convenient for everyone involved in the system, including: • The generator of the waste or recyclables • Custodial collection crews • Outdoor collection crews (whether campus crew or contracted hauler) • Processing/brokering centers • Mills that are using your recycled materials to make new products. • The administrators supporting your program.

16. Recycling has to be just as convenient for staff at their desk as throwing something into the trash

17. Recycling has to be just as convenient for students in the residence halls as throwing something into the trash.

18. For collection crews, there are several different factors that make up convenience. • The time involved • The effort involved • Safety • Mess Remember, if the trash system is significantly more convenient than the recycling system regarding any of these factors, recyclable materials will end up in the trash.

19. Time involved for custodial collection crews: There are two options to ensure parallel access with collection crew’s schedule: • Tweak custodial schedule (e.g. instead of collecting trash 5 days/week, trash now collected MWF and TuTh dedicated to recycling collection). • Co-collection containers or bags provided so that both trash and recyclables can be picked up at the same time.

20. Putting it together: Amherst College Example In the old system, bags of recyclables were manually lifted and carried out of buildings (frequently tearing open in the process). In the new system, an entire bin full of recyclables is wheeled out of a building with no manual lifting (and no tearing).

21. In the old system, bags of recyclables were manually thrown into the back of a box van – a very slow and labor intensive system. In the new system, an entire bin full of recyclables is dumped hydraulically and all at once into the truck.

22. In the old system, bags of recyclables were manually ripped open and emptied one at a time from the truck into the roll-off bin. In the new system, an entire truck full of recyclables is dumped all at once into the roll-off bin.

24. Tons Paper RecycledAt Amherst College

25. UMASS Housing Examples

27. At Sacramento State, the Facilities Management yard had always been the repository for bulky waste. In an effort to make the system easy to use, we also used this area for scrap Metal, pallets and landscaping “green waste.” Staff still brought these items back to the same location. All we did was tweak the system slightly so they put the items in a separate bin or different area when they get there.

29. Convenience for markets • Learn their language • Learn about ISRI specs • Learn about market conditions (Yellow Sheet or Fibre Market News for paper). • Try to accommodate their shipping or delivery specs. • Try to design contracts and agreements such that providing you the service you need doesn’t lead to them losing money. • Base pricing on actual weights when possible • Consider reasonable fuel surcharges to deal with unexpected rises in cost. • Seasonal fluctuations (e.g. if your trash tonnage doubles in May when students move out, vendor’s compensation should adjust similarly). • Communicate expectations or special circumstances constantly, especially before services begin, and are priced.

30. Convenience for administrators(The less you put administrators in a “conflict” position in which supporting your program puts them in conflict with another core campus concern, the more likely they will be to support the program). • Make program financially/fiscally sound • The lower your NET cost (or greater your NET savings), the easier it is for administrators to support your program. • Try to ensure that folks that see the cost of trash see the benefits of trash avoidance and recycling. • Tie to core mission of department/division • For things that you do that are not part of the department/division’s core mission, try to do them in partnership with those for whom it is their core mission (e.g. partnering with Res Life to provide education to students in residence halls). It is far easier for an administrator to support collaboration that to support a perceived “land grab” into someone else’s “turf.” • Try to ensure they’re not getting calls about overflowing bins or stinky bins. • Address “externalities” such as fire safety, worker safety, and campus aesthetics. • Track tonnages and costs to show that they are getting something for their money.

31. Working with campuses: Major differences to consider • Public vs. private • Funding differences • Public: state funded departments vs. self-funded depts. • Residential vs. commuter • Level of athletics & special events • Special areas (farm center, hospital, etc.)

32. Different areas on campus:Campus like a small city with different areas. Each campus a unique mix of these areas. • Offices • Residence Halls • Food service • Academic public areas (classrooms, library, etc) • Non-academic public areas (campus center, etc.) • Hospital & Science labs • Athletic facilities • Facilities Services/Physical Plant • Construction • Grounds & outdoor spaces • Special agricultural areas (farm center, equestrian center, etc.)