TRASHBUSTERS!
Annual Winners Announced
11/07/02 Lane County Information Services

For full story click here
To see the application click here

Special Event Trashbuster: U of O Campus Recycling

Achievements:

·        Recovered 82 percent of the waste stream at the 2002 Willamette Valley Folk Festival, through composting, recycling and reusing plastic forks and plates

·        Encourages food vendors to reduce the amount of materials they give to their customers and to use products that can be recycled, composted or reused

·        At the WVFF, Campus Recycling collects plastic bottles, aluminum cans, newspaper, cardboard, low grade paper, writing paper, drink boxes, glass and plastic for recycling and cooking grease, vegetable food waste, paper plates, chopsticks and napkins for compost

·        Styrofoam has been banned from use on Campus, due to no local recycling market

·        At each recycling and composting collection station there is staff or a volunteer providing education to the public about what materials can or cannot be recycled

Student Trashbuster:
U of O Environmental Service Learning Program

Achievements:

The Winter class project was to track edible food flow that would otherwise go to waste.  The class worked closely with Food for Lane County and achieved the following: 

·        The information gathered from this study is currently being used as a tool for Food for Lane County in a grant for a delivery/pick-up truck for edible food

·        As a result of the food flow project, businesses that were contacted were informed of Food for Lane County's services and many such businesses set up permanent collection of food through the food bank

The Spring class collaborated with BRING Recycling and Lane County Waste Management on a special event for recycling TVs and computer monitors.  The class achieved the following:

·        Informed the public through 36 presentations about the hazards of electronic waste, which reached 1,123 Lane County citizens

·        Ran a multimedia campaign to promote the event including radio, TV, email, and newspaper ads and interviews

·        Collected 19 tons of TVs and monitors for recycling, primarily through domestic markets

·        Prevented approximately 3.2 tons of lead from reaching the landfill.

TRASHBUSTER
Recognition Award Application
October 14, 2002

Questionnaire:

Overview:
The UO Campus Recycling Program has been working to attain zero waste at campus festivals, conferences and events.  The effort, started in 1997 has taken events waste management from recycling to creation, expansion of a compostables collection and implementation of reusable plates/forks at the Willamette Valley Folk Festival and assorted other campus events (ASUO Street faires, Sustainable Business Symposium, Career Fair, Oregon Grind, Law Conference, etc..).

As this system has been refined and the effort continues, recovery rates have increased as high as 82% while the reusables program at the Willamette Valley Folk Festival (2002), reduced overall event waste 22% while still recovering 70% of the remainder of the waste stream and reducing overall waste by 70% in 3 years.

1) Describe the ways in which you, your company or your agency contribute to waste reduction by:
A) reusing materials:
Campus Recycling received a grant from the student government for purchase of 4000 reusable plates and forks.  Though this was for the Willamette Valley Folk Festival, in the off season, the plates are being used by the Holy Cow, food vendor in the EMU and other smaller conferences.

B) reducing amounts of materials used:
Besides the waste reduction of 22% at the Willamette Valley Folk Festival (2002), Campus Recycling encourages vendors to reduce their packaging through smart purchasing prior to events.  This is done through a vendor information packet.

C) recycling:
This effort started with bottles and cans, newspaper and cardboard recycling at events.  Now it has blossomed into recycling and composting of: bottles/cans, newspaper, cardboard, low grade paper, writing paper, drink boxes, cooking grease, glass, aluminum, plastic, pre and post consumer food waste plus paper compostables such as plates, chopsticks and napkins.

2) List the items purchased that are made with recycled content?
Styrofoam is banned from use at all UO food events and areas.  Campus Recycling has set-up a food vendor discount at McDonald Wholesale for vendors to utilize items that are compatible with our waste recovery at events.  Currently, we have a reduced price for purchase of post consumer napkins.  Vendors are encouraged to purchase Enviroware, which is tree free plates.

3) How do you educate your employees, customers, friends, family or neighbors about reuse, recycling and waste reduction?
For these events, we have created opportunities for the waste recovery stations to be monitored at all times by student employees, Program Coordinators or volunteers.  Each station is numbered and has an "operators instructions" at the station.  Our education is through direct contact with the people attending these events and also through our well labeled/laid out containers and sites.  When a person comes to dispose of items, there is someone there to instruct them and also educate them as to what we are doing.  Additionally, we try and get press coverage for all of these efforts.

Another thing we do is to close off all of the garbage cans in the vicinity.  At each of those sites, the can is covered and a sign is attached that instructs folks to please utilize the waste recovery stations.

4) List the most frequent materials found in your trash.  Are those materials recyclable?  Have you considered purchasing items that serve the same function, but can be reused or recycled?
At these events the most common items generated are:
*bottles/cans
*cardboard
*kitchen recyclables such as glass, steel cans, aluminum, plastics, lowgrade paper
*pre and post consumer food waste
*cooking grease
*disposable utensils
*foodware such as plates, cups, boats, napkins
*plastic bags

Most of these materials are recyclable or compostable.  We have grown into including more materials in our recovery at these events, thus 80+% recovery rates.

As mentioned previously, in 2001, we got a grant for reusable plates and forks. These can only be used at events where there is an adequate facility that is available for washing these items.  We use these at the Willamette Valley Folk Festival, share these with the Holy Cow in the EMU and also rent these for smaller events such as the Math Dept. Picnic and HOPES Conference.  We utilize reusables when it is feasible.

5) At these events generally there is no hazardous waste generated.
This year we found some aerosol cans and disposed of these with the Campus Environmental Health and Safety.  We added cooking grease recycling this year as well at the ASUO Street Fair.  Previously, people were putting grease in plastic bags and putting it in the trash..YUK!

6) Can we use your name in our efforts to promote solid waste reduction?
Yes for sure!

E.I.C    UO Home    Facilities    Others    Sitemap    Contact Us  UO Printshop