Dumpster Diving. Once upon a time, we struggled trying to get students to recycle. Now, more than ever, students are really chipping in and recycling on campus! Here’s the rub….all of that hard work (filling your rooms with plastic, glass, aluminum, and paper… lugging the recyclable materials down to the “commingled” dumpster) is wasted effort!!!!!!! NONE OF IT GETS RECYCLED!!!!!!!! (Well, about 1 out of every four weeks, we get it right, but the other three weeks are a waste of waste!)
WHY??? If MDS (our disposal company) sees any plastic bags, plastic wrappers, cardboard, or my favorite ~ book bags full of sneakers and beer bottle caps ~ they take all of that beautiful recycling and dump in into the landfill with everything else.
Let’s look at the rest of the recycling on campus…..
Paper: The only place to recycle paper is in the academic buildings (where the plastic and glass receptacles are), or in the Paper Retriever dumpster behind the Library (coming next week) so you have to bring your paper with you to class!!!
Electronics (computers/printers/etc.): Bring them to Marcucella Rm. 210 (my office), or give me a call X4255 and I will come and get them!
Cardboard: The only place to recycle cardboard (except for on Move- In Day) is down at the warehouse (if you are on your way to Earl the Sandwich Master’s place, it is the first left after you leave University Rd.) or you can find a bin behind the dining hall.
Clothing: Planet Aid Bin in the RavenCroft Theater Parking Lot
Plastic Bottles, Aluminum Cans, Glass: COMMINGLED DUMPSTERS
Recycling Dumpster Locations:
Outside Cheney Hall near dumpsters
To the Right of the Field House
Mountain View outside E tower
In between Granite and Campus Center
Lakeview next to dumpster
Northwoods to the right of Fire Lane
Ok, so now what is up with the blue bins in each of your classrooms??? They are JUST FOR PAPER!!! (I had no idea, either.) We are in the process of putting signs above them, so spread the word! Your bottles and cans must go in the recycling receptacles in the hallway/foyers of the academic buildings.
Oh, and if you throw the wrong things in the wrong places, either I, or some other unlucky soul, must go dumpster diving and sort it all out. My husband is thrilled. PLEASE HELP!!!
Did you know….
*Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 2 barrels of oil, and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity — enough energy to power the average American home for five months. (EPA, 2008)
*Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy needed to produce new aluminum from raw materials. Energy saved from recycling one ton of aluminum is equal to the amount of electricity the average home uses over 10 years. (Keep America Beautiful, 2006)
*Glass never wears out — it can be recycled forever. We save over a ton of resources for every ton of glass recycled — 1,330 pounds of sand, 433 pounds of soda ash, 433 pounds of limestone, and 151 pounds of feldspar.
“I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but I still
can do something; I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”
– Helen Keller
Michelle Comeau, Sustainability Coordinator
Pierce Arrow Blogger
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