Greenwashing/Confusion Criteria for Recycled Content
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Topic #1: Purchasing Symbol – greenwashing/confusion Criteria for recycled content – what % is considered -guidelines for buying -Can we purchase as a group? Get cost savings (get on state contract) -Ways big universities can donate bins to small colleges (ex. UNC to App. State) -Create demand for materials Combined waste contract? Nearby schools partnering on contracts/large purchasing -What are cheap ways to buy bins/infrastructure? Metal bin is plastic - more $ up front/more end of life/landfill Topic #2: Special Populations Session #1 Greek Life – Moving from just cardboard from kitchens, not students—issue potential: risk of getting caught Solutions: -Daily recycling pickup from ENS -Working with property managers -Working with kitchens (~500 lbs.) weekly -More @ move-out and in trash -Pair trash can & 96-gallon recycling bin behind each house -Reusable chapter purchases -Takeaway containers -Cups -T-shirts -Get f/s service points LABS -Pick and choose what, when, who gets to touch, enter -Minimal—96-gallon roll cart 1x per month -Recycling difficult unless all are on board -Contaminants = hard to keep out of waste stream Session #2 -Connecting with Greek Life -Consistent signage very important -Knowing what’s recyclable and where it’s going -You can work with DHEC – no cost -Could reach out to Chamber of Commerce -Don’t Waste Food SC -Tourism=19 billion/Recycling=13 billion = econ contribution -Stick-proof gloves Session #3 -Using social media -Email blasting -Community service -Zero waste basketball games -Cheerleader/dancer involvement at games to bring “green spirit” -Atlanta Falcons = Athletic purchasing -lower prices on recyclable items Topic #3: Reuse/Waste Reduction Programs WCU: 1. Move out: Goodwill Industries: − Roll carts installed − Strong Partnerships with habitat for humanity * − Big restores 2. Dumpster diving − Cardboard corrals ∗ C + D walkthroughs − Surplus − *Habitat 3. Folk Moot (sp) festival - Seating was suppled from C + D walkthroughs 4. Aramark − Pepsi cups were a ton − They will now use compostables − Phase out straws − Food waste. Recycle mania → Hog farmer ∗ [ Stored in refrigerated stainless steel bins ] - They have a cooker - * Retail food not captured - Pilot project with composting 5. Tailgate program − No food waste collection MUSC 13K people/day - Worth farm → No tonnage collected - Dining hall / cafeteria - Was dormant restarting → Castings urban garden is using it . Students w/ garden - Room to grow Clemson Res Hall Specific − Diversion mostly o “lighten your load” program w/ goodwill o 96 gal flip tops o School supplies + food → food bank − Remodel of apartments o Not surplus → goodwill picking up − Remodeled apartments o National guard gym – stored . Had other universities come pick up o Materials Reuse w/ Event planners UNC Charlotte - Bins for binders etc. → Deliver materials to stations too time consuming - 2X year free store → Bring 6 month collection → Free → 45 minutes USC - Green office cert. - Has a leader - Student led - Take xyz actions → Renew - Purchasing etc. - Reusables - Events cert team → Fraternities → Green event certify - Run by students through susty office (interns) - “off campus living office” - Greek office has to register events → Register . Food / drinks provided → Trying to require recycling → Register tailgates, etc. MUSC - Donation boxes throughout - Constantly out USC - 75% off campus housing → More in immediately after the year is over - Give it up for the good → Fund for habitat for humanity - Food recovery > good Samaritan law - Greek houses are signed up to: → Recover food from Greek kitchens . Come at the end of the day → Must be on meal plan → Lots of food picked up → Through 3rd party contractors UNCC - Dining – chartwells = contractor - Can they fill a reusable cup - Events → Once delivered → Food → If disposables – up to the planner - Athletics Football - WCU – partner with them – tailgate – supportive - < donor section | boosters > different caterers The Hub – Clemson - Completely recyclable - To go – recyclable - Returnable containers WCU - Sports management apprentice → 70 hrs / 3 credit hours → Work w/ AD → Credit hours → Report to Jeff White - Adopt a game event → Promote + collect → Intern runs this - Basketball games → Clemson – making it visible - < paper towel composting in res halls> USC - Reuse: Lani/Lana…? - Greek – reusable → Personal clamshell ---- 3rd party → Wash and reuse - < taylor pallets – Greenville > - They take any painted etc. > courtesy plastic ones every once and a while - Athletics equipment manager → Stockpile + throw away Topic #4: Education and Outreach / Messaging Round 1 - “All MUSC employees” - Keeping people informed - Contamination - Reaching to different apartments - Dept. needs to update some resources; golf cart, newer handhelds - Not putting wrong material in wrong bin Round 2 - Staff training for schools Topic #5: Organics and Composting Round 1 - Cori cofc - Darcy Everett unc charlotte - Joe Green - Singh – Voorhees - Diane – Voorhees Existing systems - Charlotte – back of house composting – earth farms → 1 rest w/ comp service ware Voorhees in rural area – see limitations to area - Can do in house - Can ask local farms DE – food pantry collects food from dining halls Contamination – pizza boxes CofC - Comp banks shut down – fear of vermin → Who made that decision? Who is the audience? - Joe – collab w/ student gov - Diane – white noise machine? Round 2 - Alex – DHEC - David – App state - David – App state - Brian – Clemson - App st – does comp on site – aerated bays system 175 tons - Contamination = largest issue → Moving bins away from recycling to decrease contamination - Tips for Clemson? Round 3 - Jeff White (WCU) - Michael (MUSC) - Ebony (Voorhees) - Darius (Voorhees) - Maurice (Voorhees) - Rebecca (App State) WCU—Sustainable Energy Initiative Funs=d available for repurpose food warw for animal feed - 3-4 tons/week - -Ohio composting facility-4 week turnaround MUSC – 2 buildings-common space bins, send off-campus Voorhees—brand new recycling program App State – issues w/student projects are that they’re only one semester, so continuity is challenging Topic #6: Misc. Table - Ecobricks → Upcycling vs downcycling → Exposure UV → Safety – breakdown - Increase in recycling costs → Tipping fee for recycling - Metal recycling – scrap → Full but light - Surplus procedures – scrap metal - Partnerships w/ county - Sharps – poked when emptying - University names → USC → ASU - Apparel – renew – what happened to renew? → AFS - Funding creativity → State → Foundation → Flexibility - Public private partnerships - Administrative support - MUSC shred trucks structure → Charge depts or building - Eco -reps - Creative solutions for diversion → Partnerships w/ classes → Scrap exchange - Free store Topic #7: Starting New Programs -Small vs. Large School approach: Small -accessibility to those involved -quicker process Large -process takes time -lots of people involved -Facilities on board: -meet with Facilities, get all on same page -embed in student body to keep it going -How do we get low-pay employees on board? -Housekeeping -Grounds -gratification -reward -appreciation Facilities –system Bins/res halls York: $2500 Professional Development $10,000 DHEC grant Pledge cards Day/website Custodian Topic #8: Student Engagement USC – EcoReps are more encompassing of entire university campus (Claire Windsor) -partnered with RHA, but their own private organization So they pay Eco Reps a stipend per semester -Sustainable Carolina Team, professional development -Sustainable Student Living Guide—to freshmen -housekeeping and grounds on board Housing committees Social media presence? Decentralization is a challenge for student engagement Eco Reps—what does this term mean? Are we working on intersectionality? Topic #9: Relationships with Markets and MRFs Voorhees received $10K to start recycling programs Charleston has a bag and straw ban coming next year Clemson: difficulties with #3-7 plastics MUSC: can compactor, 2 paper teams, 3 plastics teams (take bags to compactor and empty them) WCU: work hard to match counties’ program. Contamination is still a problem -Use county’s TS and same MRF -OCC to Jackson Paper -Dual stream program St. Andrews: -Work with maintenance and housekeeping -Make sure the whole system flows A-B-C -5 bins per dorm -Education: -Event at each dorm -Work with RAs USC -Eco Rep at each dorm .