Closing the Recycling Loop in University Halls of Residence

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Closing the Recycling Loopin University Halls of
Residence

• Victoria Hands
• Environmental Sustainability Coordinator,
• London School of Economics
• Londons University Halls of Residence Recycling
  Project Founder

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Outline

• Background
• Why halls of residence
• Reuse - end of term schemes
• Recycling win win win scenarios
• Purchasing
• Reuse to reduce purchasing
• Buy recycled to close the loop

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Benefits for Halls of Residence

• Potential waste management cost savings
• Response to increased student demand for
  recycling facilities
• Empowering residents to be aware
• Reducing end of term waste peak
• Providing low or no cost items

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Benefits for Universities

• Competitive advantage for attracting students and
  staff
• Contributing to high environmental standards
• Demonstrating social responsibility
• Backing up academic expertise with everyday
  practice

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Benefits for Local Authorities

• Meeting government recycling targets
• Extending recycling provision
• Creating a healthier environment

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Why Halls of Residence?

• High density
• Waste audit - 50-70 recyclable
• Life change
• Contractual obligations
• Established communications
• Backing up teaching
• Habitual behaviour
• Vocal active students
• Role out across campus!!

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The Waste Hierarchy

• REDUCE
• Halls can reuse buy recycled content REUSE
• Halls save on waste disposal purchasing and
  extend service provision
• RECYCLE
• Halls can access free or low cost recycling
• LAST OPTION LANDFILL

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A Practical Approach

• Identification of stakeholders
• Background research
• Initial contact
• Interviews / questionnaires / reports
• Partnership building dialogue
• Contact sheet monitoring

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Key Stakeholders

• Local Authorities (recycling officers)
• Waste management division
• Universities (environmental manager)
• Academic
• Operational
• Students union
• Halls of Residence (management)
• Cleaners
• Students

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Project Origins

• Experiences from
• Students
• Cleaning staff (including contractors)
• Hall management
• Universities
• Local Authorities
• Reuse charities

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The Waste Paper, issue 68 October 2000
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Reuse Schemes

• Reuse Implementation Plan
• (RIP Waste)
• Notices
• Collection points
• Sorting and volunteers
• Types of donations
• Liaison with charities
• Hostels, reuse, London Remade
• Cleaning up

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Reuse Donations

• 1 box of cutlery, 1 box of utensils
• 3 boxes of plates, 4 boxes of pans
• 40 black bin bags of mens clothing
• 10 toasters, 11 kettles
• 2 computers, 8 screens
• 30 drying racks, 40 dish drainers
• 8 computer chairs

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Reuse Scheme 2005

• 10 halls of residence 3,748 students
• Estimated reuse participated rate 10 - 300
  students
• 6 tonnes diverted from landfill 20 kg per
  student (textiles, IT equipment, furniture)

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Textiles 2005 650kgs from 650
students Estimated 65 participants
10 kg of textiles per student
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Recycling

• Waste audit
• 20 paper/card
• 18 compostable
• 14 glass
• 13 plastic
• 4 cans
• Start of term most effective

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Design Challenges

• Micro kitchens and source separation
• Same as other urban MODs
• Small on floorspace
• Could look good/trendy/cool
• Reuse is real use!!
• Standard source separation does not respond to
  the reality of micro living

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Design Challenges

• Design of new halls of residence and greening the
  campus
• Sustainable living
• Energy, water, waste
• Responsibility and empowerment
• Refurbishment of older halls of residence
• Often without lifts

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Action Plan

• Recycle
• Facilities and collections (external internal)
• 2. Reuse
• End of term schemes and collaborations
• 3. Raise Awareness
• Communication materials (kitchen posters, student
  tips leaflet)
• Events with users (freshers fayres) and staff
  training
• 4. Reduce
• Green procurement
• Influence student purchasing power

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Findings
Issues Findings
Responsibility Responsibility to take out recycling materials given to students. Results in full learning experience and responsible actions. Cleaners and all hall staff have a new learning experience to take into their non-working lives.
Ease Recycling is not difficult if good infrastructure and effective awareness raising is provided. In fact, waste is easier to manage. The benefits of segregated waste include reduced odour.
Costs Low or no cost because of recycling targets set for local authorities by Europe
Kitchen space Most kitchens do have space for recycling containers. There are many designs of bins. New builds must design in recycling provision.
External space In many central London halls space is limited to the pavement (also used by public-difficult to assess). Wheelie bins may be an option here.
Champions High rotation of students and local authority staff but continuity can be found through wardens, managers and local councillors.
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Closing the Loop

• Reuse - end of term schemes
• Recycling win win win scenarios
• Purchasing
• Reuse to reduce purchasing
• Buy recycled to close the loop
• National support??

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Londons University Halls of Residence Recycling
Project www.crispej.org.uk/hallsrecycling

• Victoria Hands
• v.e.hands_at_lse.ac.uk

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Closing the loop by procuring higher recycled
content in paper and construction EAUC Annual
Conference - 11 April 2006
Jim Wiltshire - Procurement Project Manager Kara
Jones WRAP Paper Advocate
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Outline

• About WRAP
• Materials resource efficiency - why recycled
• Using procurement
• The opportunities in paper
• The opportunities in construction
• WRAP assistance

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WRAP exists to

• Create stable and efficient markets for recycled
  materials and products, and
• Remove barriers to waste minimisation re-use and
  recycling

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Closing the loop why specifying recycled is so
important
Business investment and development
Specifying recycled in procurement of goods,
works and services
Product development
Waste segregation, home composting etc.
CREATING ECONOMIC VALUE FOR RECOVERED MATERIALS
Waste awareness and minimisation
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Materials resource efficiency
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Materials resource efficiency cycle
Materials efficiency
Reduce raw material use
Reduce waste
Materials with recycled content
Reduce landfill
Save resources
Recycling
A two thirds reduction in consumption of fossil
fuels and virgin materials is needed to achieve a
sustainable and globally equitable level WWF
One planet living study - 2004
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What are we talking about?
Reclaimed materials
Waste minimisation, segregation recycling
Recycled Content
Materials Resource Efficiency
Renewables
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Procurement policy drivers
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Where do we start ? - major applications to
consider

• Construction
• Estates management
• Printed matter
• Tissue catering and hygiene

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Using procurement
European Commission handbook on environmental
public procurement As a contracting authority,
you have the rightto demand a minimum percentage
of recycled and reused content where possible.
OGC AE11 The (project) brief should include an
outcome-based requirement for overall materials
efficiency, such as a minimum requirement for
recycled content in the project .
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Recycled content office publication
papersfor your organisation Why?
Kara.Jones_at_wrap.org.uk 11th Apr-06
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To cover

• Paper waste context
• Why?......... environmental
• Why?......... CSR / marketing
• Why?......... quality and cost
• Product range
• How the Advocate Team can help

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Paper waste in context

• UK gt 100,000,000T commercial, industrial
  municipal waste per year.
• UK consumes approx 12,800,000T paper board
• We recycle approx 7,000,000Tpa of paper board
• But.. More than 5,000,000Tpa still goes into
  landfill
• Landfill over 1,500,000T of paper from offices
  per year
• Less than 4 of office / marketing / business
  papers have any recycled content

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Landfill / incinerate or recycle ?

• Landfill sites are filling up
• Landfilled paper produces methane and leakage
  contributes to global warming
• Waste incineration not optimum and a long
  planning cycle
• Landfill or incineration is a waste of a valuable
  resource
• Most LCAs show recycling is best
• We can recycle - economically
• Now a legal requirement to reduce landfill

Recycle
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Your customers are aware..

• National and EU push to increased recycling
• Increased recycling and promotion
• Rolling out more kerbside collection
• National advertising
• Local advertising
• Government announcements on environmental issues
  and sustainability
• Increasing central and local government
  sustainable procurement
• Constant press coverage on all things
  environmental

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In the media
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In the media
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In the media
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Why buy recycled content paper?.........

• Recycling collection
• buy-recycled

Your impact
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The prime buy-recycled argument is not about.
saving trees

• is about avoiding.
• landfill

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Why?......... Environmental

• Landfill, methane production also
• Recycled paper also typically
• uses less energy in production
• creates less VOCs,
• uses less transport miles
• has a significantly smaller environmental
  footprint
• reduces pressure on forest resources

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Why?.... CSR / marketing

• Your customers
• Your customers are increasingly being asked to
  recycle
• 50 of the population describe themselves as
  committed recyclers (source NOP tracking survey
  Mar 2005)
• Recycled / recycling is seen as good.
  Opportunity to be associated with a positive
  feelings such as
• caring
• future looking
• ethical
• doing your bit
• Universities, and other higher education
  authorities, are seen as exemplars, providing
  education, values and the future for the next
  generation

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Why?.... CSR / marketing

• Stakeholders / Investors
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) a necessity
  for high profile organisations
• Purchasing recycled materials is a positive
  action.
• gt50 of your staff are committed recyclers,
  positive reinforcement of your organisational
  values
• Supporting government commitment to sustainable
  procurement
• Recycled content paper is
• a quick win
• A demonstration you are doing something

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So what is available?

• Paper for printed publications
• Magazine papers
• Envelopes
• Copier / printer paper
• Tissue papers
• Boxes
• ..

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Why?....... quality and cost

• You do not need to compromise quality by
  procuring recycled content papers
• full colour publication papers
• office papers
• Technical developments have significantly
  improved the performance and cost of recycled
  papers
• brands are readily available which match the
  performance of virgin papers.
• need not pay more
• You can have a traditional recycled look if you
  want

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It doesnt have to be 100 recycled

• Suggested minimum specification
• for recycled content.
• Copier / Office paper 70
• Printing Papers 50 (for marketing and
  publications)
• Tissue 100
• What is recycled content?
• Post pre-consumer waste.
• Not mill broke

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How WRAP can help you

• Advocacy team one2one support
• Advice on product availability
• On effective specification and policy for
  recycled content
• Technical advice
• Facilitate trial material.
• Free
• Provided by a team experienced in paper and print
• Procurement guides
• Recycled content Office and publication papers
• Recycled content Tissue papers
• Recycled content Business process papers
• Case studies
• Technical information sheets

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Summary
Recycling collection
buy-recycled

• Recycled paper
• Same quality
• Need not cost more
• Reduces landfill
• Supports your CSR and marketing

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You could say.

• . using recycled paper is a no brainer!

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The case for recycled in construction
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Materials efficiency in construction
Overall material consumption by construction
industry (420 Mt per year)
M tonnes
Quantity of construction and demolition waste
generated (90 Mt per year)
Waste construction materials that are recycled
(45 Mt per year)
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Headline Construction Figures

• One of the UKs most productive sectors,
  contributing almost 9 to the GDP
• 50 UK energy consumption associated with
  buildings construction use
• 90 non-energy minerals extracted used in
  construction - lt1 new buildings uses reclaimed
  materials
• Biggest consumer of material resources 420
  million tonnes/year

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Mainstream, not green

• Many mainstream products already include
  recycled content
• A range of products offer above-average recycled
  content at no extra cost
• The potential for diversion from landfill is
  substantial

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Quick Wins

• Where will we find Quick Wins that are . .
• cost-effective
• with comparable performance
• and readily available?

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Examples of mainstream products available
Product type Optionwith lowerrecycled content Option with higher recycled content
Dense block 0 Hanson Conbloc - Up to 70
Wall insulation 0 Superglass Superwall Cavity Slab gt 80
Concrete roof tile 0 Lafarge various, e.g. Grovebury - 17
Ceiling tiles gt10 Armstrong various 28 to 52
Intermediate floors,e.g. timber 50-70 Sonae Sonaefloor 90 to 95
Floor coverings safety 0 BSW Regupol Everroll rubber flooring - 80
Project specific example
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Using your procurement strategy to drive resource
efficiency

• Sustainable Buildings Task Group
• Specify 10 or higher minimum requirement for
  recycled content as a proportion of the value of
  materials for the whole project
• You can also encourage higher performance e.g.
  through tender evaluation criteria

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What is being achieved without asking for good
practice?
Type of project Baseline/ actual practice Cost neutral good practice
Detached/terraced house 6 - 26 16-29
Commercial office 10 - 22 12-30
School, hospital 12 - 20 15-27
Road reconstruction 8 - 16 27-29
Bridge reconstruction 18 - 23 33-49
Excluding building services
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Housing example
Standard/actual practice Good practice (cost-neutral)
Timber-framed house, Hillcrest HA 7 15
Timber-framed house, Milnbank HA 12 21
Brick/block house, Taylor Woodrow 16 20 28
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Steel framed housing example
Standard practice 20 23
As built specification 23 - 25
Good practice 26 29
Best practice 30 31
Product type Base case Quick Win
Insulation Roof 0 80
General fill 0 50- 100
Insulation wool external walls 50 70
facing Brick 5 11 20
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Evidence base - DfES Exemplar designs for schools

• Design S2 - Suburban edge of town setting
• Design S5 - Inner city sites
• City Academy, Brent Recently completed

Design S2 Design S5 City Academy, Brent
Build cost of school M 14.1 15.1 12.2
Approx value of materials M 3.3 3.7 3.6
recycled content Standard practice 15.5 17.3 12.9
recycled content Product substitution 18.1 21.2 15.6
Tonnage avoiding landfill Standard practice 400 490 830
Tonnage avoiding landfill Product substitution 3100 4800 4300
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Case study Glasgow school

• Best opportunities to increase recycled content

General fixtures, furnishings and equipment,
flooring (inside)
Plasterboard dry lining, partitions, ceiling
(inside)
Where Glasgow
When 2004
Building Camstradden Primary School
Total construction works value 3.4m
Total materials value 2m
Asphalt
Excavating and filling
Drainage below ground
Mixing, casting, curing in-situ concrete
Interlocking brick, block roads, paving
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Quick Wins
Top Quick Wins
Coated macadam/Asphalt roads/Pavings
Rubber/Plastics/Lino/Carpet tiling
Actual ()
Readily achievable ()
Mixing/Casting/Curing in Situ concrete
Excavating and filling
Interlocking brick/Block roads/Pavings
Plasterboard dry lining/partitions/ceilings
Drainage belowground
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
Recycled Content Value
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Who is taking action?

• Adopted minimum 10 value requirement
• Glasgow City Council
• Aberdeen City Council
• Dundee City Council
• Newcastle City Council
• Solihull MBC
• Sheffield CC

• Bristol City Council
• Whipps Cross Hospital
• Lancashire County Council
• Building Schools for the Future (BSF)
• Raploch URC

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Who is taking action?

• Increasing the use of recycled content
• BAA
• British Land
• Ely Bridge
• Worcestershire CC
• Yorkshire Forward
• Major supermarkets
• Major housebuilders - Redrow
• Glamorgan Gwent HA

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How WRAP can help
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WRAP assistance

• RC Toolkit
• Case studies
• Procurement advice
• Site waste management
• Demolition guidance
• Web resources
• AggRegain, tools, research reports
• Trailblazer projects
• Events

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Toolkit data requirements
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Material Resource Efficiency in Construction
www.wrap.org.uk/construction
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Publications guidance

• Quick Win Procurement guidance documents
• Housing Quick Wins
• Preliminary works
• General building
• Office commercial refurbishment
• Highways maintenance
• Councillor briefing documents

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Resources for procurement

• Construction procurement template wording
• Design/project brief
• Appointment of design team
• Supplier pre-qualification and audit
• Tender specification (DB, traditional)
• Contract clauses
• Construction product listing

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For further information

• Thank you!
• www.wrap.org.uk/construction
• jim.wiltshire_at_wrap.org.uk