Duke Athletics Zero Waste to Landfill Initiative by Britta Victor Esi Waters Dr. Jay Golden, Advisor May 2013 Master’s Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Environmental Management degree in the Nicholas School of the Environment of Duke University 2013 Duke Athletics Zero Waste Initiative i Abstract Landfills are a growing threat to public health, releasing emissions to air, soil, and water. With space and resource constraints, recycling and composting are becoming increasingly economically attractive. Duke, as a leading academic institution, has the opportunity to become a leader in waste reduction. Piloting a zero waste to landfill initiative at Cameron Indoor Stadium will bring the Duke community together to reduce waste while garnering public attention. A zero waste program, in which 90% of waste is diverted from the landfill, can be achieved through upstream, downstream, and courtside changes. Through consumer behavior observations, technology evaluation, and empirical data for waste segregation, we have recommended educational, operational, and product packaging changes to achieve Zero Waste at Cameron Indoor Stadium. These recommendations focus on the addition of composting capacity at Duke, educational initiatives for game attendees and staff, the sourcing of products with easily recyclable or compostable packaging, and negotiations with local recycling facilities to increase acceptance of a variety of materials. This long-term project has the opportunity to expand throughout Duke University and to peer institutions to make the greatest impact. Acknowledgements This work was partially supported through a grant from Waste Management, Inc. Duke Athletics, Duke Office of Sustainability, and Duke Facilities have assisted with the research and operations of this project. Duke Athletics Zero Waste Initiative ii Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... i Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 Objectives .................................................................................................................................. 1 Background ............................................................................................................................... 3 Cameron Indoor Stadium ................................................................................................................................. 5 Drivers for a Zero Waste to Landfill Program .............................................................................................. 6 Economic ........................................................................................................................................................... 6 Social ................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Leadership ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Environmental ................................................................................................................................................... 6 Data Collection: Phase I ............................................................................................................ 8 Methodology ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 Observations ..................................................................................................................................................... 10 Results ................................................................................................................................................................ 10 Strategy .................................................................................................................................... 14 Overall Strategy ................................................................................................................................................ 14 Products sold .................................................................................................................................................... 15 Peer institutions ................................................................................................................................................ 16 Ohio State University ....................................................................................................................................... 16 University of Colorado ...................................................................................................................................... 19 Pennsylvania State University ........................................................................................................................... 20 Educational Initiatives ..................................................................................................................................... 22 Volunteers ....................................................................................................................................................... 22 Organizational Initiatives ................................................................................................................................ 23 Receptacle design ............................................................................................................................................... 23 Signage ............................................................................................................................................................. 24 Receptacle location ............................................................................................................................................ 25 Composting Technology ................................................................................................................................. 26 Recycling Technology ...................................................................................................................................... 30 Product Packaging Options ............................................................................................................................ 30 Data Collection: Phase II ........................................................................................................ 32 Methodology ..................................................................................................................................................... 32 Results ................................................................................................................................................................ 35 Discussion ............................................................................................................................... 38 Observations ..................................................................................................................................................... 38 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................................ 39 Duke Athletics Zero Waste Initiative iii Next Steps ......................................................................................................................................................... 40 Legacy .............................................................................................................................................................. 40 Whole Campus ................................................................................................................................................ 41 Other Universities ............................................................................................................................................ 41 Appendices .............................................................................................................................. 42 Accepted Recyclable Materials by Duke ....................................................................................................... 42 Trash and Recycle Bin information ............................................................................................................... 43 The Recycle Cylinder Single-Stream .................................................................................................................. 43 The Evolution-40 Recycling Bin ....................................................................................................................... 43 Recycle Bin I .................................................................................................................................................... 44 Expanded Metal Recycling Receptacle ............................................................................................................... 44 References 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