Recycling & Solid Waste Management APPA Facilities Management Institute January 2006 Presented by Erica Spiegel University of Vermont Burlington, VT

Course Outline Integrated Approach to Waste Disposal Role of Facilities Management Economics of Garbage Collection & Operations Organizational Issues Related Programs & Opportunities Conclusions / Wrap Up

Integrated Approach to Disposal

Why Recycle? If done right, it can save your institution money by lowering trash disposal costs Environmental benefits Mandated by some states Students & customers expect it Basis for comprehensive greening and sustainability programs

Recycling: its a process, not a destination Collection (Consolidating and grading a usable scrap commodity) Purchasing (reintroducing new product into the marketplace) Processing – Remanufacturing (turning scrap into a new product)

Why the Recycling Function belongs in facilities management? Better performance, more service-oriented Logical to pair recycling with trash program Reduced trash disposal costs

Challenges to a Successful Recycling Program Transient population Multiple departments to coordinate Apathy or disinterest Negative national media about recycling Space & storage constraints Building design Fluctuating markets Lack of nearby infrastructure Declining competition in private hauling sector Funding Selection of proper equipment

Other Challenges? What other challenges is your recycling program facing? What would you like to learn about today?

Opportunities for Successful Recycling Program Students can help Partnerships within campus community Partnerships inside & outside campus Professional Networking- NRCs College & University Recycling Council (CURC)

Garbage Economics 101 Tipping Fees vary be region Avoided Disposal Costs are a primary reason to recycle and reduce waste Balancing Act: The cost of collecting trash/recycling within a building vs. cost of collecting trash/recycling from the building.

Collection & Operations Where the rubber hits the road

Collection Issues Inside Buildings Frequency Scheduling Equipment Ergonomics Staffing

Collection Issues Outside Buildings Storage Equipment Frequency Routing Vehicles Who Collects It

At-Desk Box or Individual Bins Collection Equipment Options

Central Receptacles Many different shapes, styles, colors and price ranges are available

Recycle & Trash Parity

Containers with Restricted Openings

Built-In Containers – proper sizing and location are key

University of Oregon Humboldt University

Roll Carts & Tilt Trucks

Rear Load Containers Front Load Containers

Roll-Off Containers

Compactors (Self-Contained or Stationary)

Roll-Off Truck University of Colorado

Hauling Vehicles Rear load Front load Side-load Roll-off/Lift Hook Pickup/Dump Truck Cube Van/Box Truck

Destination Where does all this stuff get hauled to? The end market will determine what materials you can collect and the specifications for those materials.

Intermediate Processing Facility Some schools have their own facility to consolidate materials for longer distance shipping.

Material Recovery Facility (MRF) Materials are dumped onto a tipping floor.

Material Baled & Ready to be Shipped to Market

Homework Assignment: Map your current campus recycling program from Finish to start

Organizational Issues Program Structure and Management Administration Support Personnel Funding & Budgeting Contracting Issues Measurements & Benchmarking Outreach & Education

Program Structure & Management Student operated program Staff Operated: - Facilities Management or Physical Plant - Auxiliary Services (e.g., Purchasing) Complete privatization

Personnel Involved Solid Waste Manager Recycling Coordinator Laborers (Custodians, Truck Operators, etc.) Student Employees Recycling Committee – Involve others in planning and implementation University of Massachusetts Waste Management Dept

Administration Support Nice to have a policy, but…. Striving for an organizational culture that is aware of waste and its costs to the institution and the environment, and therefore reduces, reuses, recycles and composts as a matter of practice.

Funding & Budgeting General Fund, Residential Life, Auxiliary Grants or loans Student Fees Fee for Service work Avoided disposal costs New Facilities requests (based on sq. ft.) Revenue from sale of materials Revise or restructure trash hauling contracts

Contracting Issues Only pay for trash your campus generates Avoid flat fee contracts Weight slips, verification Know where loads are going Insurance issues Flexibility in service schedules/sizes Competitive bidding Lease versus own containers

Benchmarking & Measuring Weight (tons) vs. Volume (cubic yards) Financial Measures (e.g., $ per ton, $ per Sq Ft, $ per FTE) Diversion Measures (e.g., recycling rate, capture rate) Recycling Rate = Tons of materials recycled Tons of materials recycled + trash

Keeping Track of Data

Outreach & Education Consider different audiences Strategies and Ideas –Good signage –Web page, Brochure –Bulletin Boards –Flyers, Posters, Door tags, –Etc. etc. Pass around samples

Other Program Opportunities Waste Reduction and Reuse Composting Buying Recycled Products Special Materials Student Move-Out/Move-In campaigns Building Design Issues

Waste Reduction & Reuse Waste Reduction can be simple!

Supply Reuse Programs Office Supply Collection And Reuse (OSCAR) Reusable Office Supply Exchange (ROSE)

Composting Yard & Grounds Waste Grasscycling Windrow Composting

Composting…wait, theres more Food Waste (pre-/post-consumer) Animal Bedding (from labs or farms) Vermi-composting (worms) In-Vessel Composting Windrow Composting

Composting…still, theres more Capturing more food waste from residence halls. Composting at special events. New bioplastics to test out.

Buying Recycled Content Products Office paper Tissue products Office supplies Construction materials Plastic lumber

Special Hard to Handle Wastes Appliances white goods Phone Books Fluorescent Bulbs E-waste

Carpeting Mattresses Confidential Paper Scrap Metal Wood Pallets

Tires Concrete/Asphalt Surplus Furniture Construction Debris Power Plant Ash

Student Move-In Great opportunity to capture clean corrugated cardboard

Student Move-Out Charitable donations: Food, Clothing, Household Items Furniture Loft Wood Concrete Blocks Carpets/Rugs

Design for Material Handling We must have better designs to accommodate safe and efficient materials handling Build good relationships with your architecture & engineering group on campus

Dock fed compactor: more ergonomically friendly Side load compactor: height is too high for average custodian to safely lift bags

Design Standards and Guidelines By far, the best example is from UNC Chapel Hill

Conclusions Recycling Basics Collection & Operations Organization Other Programs & Opportunities for Waste Reduction

Resource List in your packet…

Join the RECYC-L List College and University Recycling Coordinators Listserve (approximately 140 subscribers) Send with subject: Subscribe Recyc-L In message: Write a short introducing yourself and your school…and you will be added to the list.

Its the only home weve got!