Department Waste Reduction Initiative

1
Department Waste Reduction Initiative

• Katie Caldwell
• Amy Punaro
• April 20, 2004

2
Project Goals

• The purpose of this project was to
• Increase environmental awareness throughout
  Academic departments
• Decrease generated solid waste stream through
  increased recycling and alternative purchasing
• Provide paperless information on environmentally
  friendly offices and office products

3
Components of the Project

• Conduct Waste Audits
• What is being discarded?
• What should be done to reduce waste?
• Conduct Surveys
• How much paper do departments buy a year?
• Is this paper used to its fullest extent (both
  sides)
• Are dept. purchasing recycled products?

• Communicate with Dept. Coordinators and
  Purchasers
• What problems do they face?
• Publicize Results
• Poster- to post as a dept. wide reminder
• Website - to be used as a reference for
  purchasing and to make current websites easier to
  find and navigate.

4
Audit Methods

• Purpose Determine amount of trash generated by
  departments that could be recycled.
• Sorted and weighed material in trash bins in 5
  academic department copier rooms.
• Percentages of recyclables (paper, envelopes,
  etc.) and trash (food, Styrofoam, etc.)
  calculated.

5
Audit Results

• 70.3 of material in trash cans could be
  recycled.
• Correlation between distance of recycle bin from
  copier/printer and amount of recyclables thrown
  away.

6
Detailed Audit Results
Hispanic and German Studies Copier Room Trash Bin
100 Recyclable Material
7
Detailed Audit Results
8
Comparisons to Other Studies

• ENVI 490 Found 41 of trash campus-wide and 50
  in academic buildings was recyclable
• RIWMS found 38 of recyclable paper is actually
  recycled

9
Campus Attitude Select Survey ResultsFaculty and
Staff

• Only 26.3 have visited Rice Recycles web page.
• 42.1 did not know envelopes could be recycled.
• 39.5 did not know that paper with staples could
  be recycled.
• 36.8 did not know manila envelopes could be
  recycled.
• 39.5 did not know notebooks could be recycled.
• Suggestions included better access printers that
  print double-sided and increasing the frequency
  of recycle bin pick up.
• Note Survey only included 17 faculty and 12
  staff.

   
10
Purchasing Survey

• 6 Questions about purchasing of paper,
  double-sided printers, and recycling bin access
• Emailed Survey to all Department Coordinators
  and/or Purchasers
• Sent out a reminded email one week later
• Received responses from 29 out of 35 dept. (83)

11
Survey Results

• 15 Types of Paper were bought from 9 vendors
• Only 3 Departments (purchasing 6.8 of the total
  paper) bought recycled paper
• Costs ranged from 23.00- 41.70/case
• 13 requests were made for more bins
• 9 of 29 Dept. have double-side printers

12
Survey Stats

• Academic Departments use about
• 10.5 Million Sheets of Paper each year
• 1,225 Trees, 62,000
• If all Dept. used 30 recycled paper
• 375 Trees would be saved each year
• Increasing Double-sided printing by 20 could
  save 8,870
• Decreasing Waste 30 from dept. offices alone
  would save 4725 lbs from the landfill (not to
  mention trickle down into professors offices,
  etc.)

13
Posters

• TIPS
• Reduce Class Handouts
• Purchase Recycled Paper
• Website Lists Recommendations
• Recycle Toner with Delivery Services
• Print and Copy Double-sided whenever possible
• Place recycling bins next to mail and copiers

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Websitehttp//www.ruf.rice.edu/cses/depts/

• What can and cant be recycled at Rice.
• Recycling and paper conservation tips.

15
Website

• Information on recycled paper and vendors.
• Audit Results
• Links

16
Wrap- Up

• We would like to conduct a final audit to see
  what changes, if any have occurred because of the
  postings
• Add more information (such as printer options) to
  the website
• Keep in contact with Coordinators, answer
  questions as they arise
• Make a list of suggestions for next years class