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