Course 2: Recycling/Waste

UWM Office of SustainabilityGreen Office Certification TrainingCourse 2: Recycling & WasteFrom electronics to pallets to ceiling tile, recycling at UWM goes beyond paper and aluminum cans.UWM looks to manage and reduce its waste while looking for new recycling outlets and markets to diversify its opportunities. IMPACTMethane from landfills is a greenhouse gas that is over 20 times more harmful to the atmosphere than CO2, making recycling just as important today as it was when the State of Wisconsin first mandated paper recycling on campus nearly 20 years ago. Since then UWM has expanded into many areas of recycling, including composting and e-waste.History of Recycling

History of Recycling continuedYard waste~1984Oil-1987Paper-1990Co-mingled (glass, cans, plastic bottles)-1995Lab Chemicals-1995Silver Reclamation (photo fixers)-2000Toner Cartridges-2001Freon- 2001

Oil Filters (vehicles)-2001Fluorescent lamps and ballasts-2001Computers and E-waste-2005Techno Trash-2008Construction & Demolition waste-2008Pallets-2008Carpet-2008Metal-2008Single Stream- NO SORT Recycling- 2009Compost-2009

Recycling at UWM has grown over the years and now includes a variety of materials.Campus RecyclingUWM is a single stream campus which means that all paper products and containers can go in the same recycling bin.NO SORT!

Recycling at UWM is important because it:

Contributes to the creation & expansion of job opportunities within the Milwaukee areaConserves resourcesSaves energy & decreases greenhouse gas emissionsPrevents pollution & slows landfill expansionSaves our campus money- At UWM, we spend almost 5 times as much to throw something away as we do to recycle it.

Being a large campus, UWM produces a large amount of waste. In fact, on average 150,000 lbs. of waste (trash and recycling) are produced each week!Campus RecyclingPaper: Newspaper, CardboardOffice paper (all colors) Magazines, Envelopes, Books File folders, Notebooks *Small amounts of glue, tape, staples, and metal is OK

Co-mingle (Plastic/Glass): Glass Bottles and Jars (clear, brown, & green glass)Aluminum cansAll #s 1-7 plastic containers, rinsed Steelfood containers Aerosol Cans (empty)

What can be recycled in Single Sort?

Special RecyclingTennis Shoes- Youll find this recycling bin in the main lobby of the Klotsche Center. Shoes are sent to a company which uses them to make tot-lot soft playground surfaces.

Cell Phones- Youll find this recycling bin just outside of Human Resources in Engelmann Hall. Cell phones are sent to Call2Recycle where they are recycled or reused.

Eyeglasses & Hearing Aids- Currently you will find these slim yellow bins outside the Center for Volunteerism on the Union ground floor, as well as just outside of Human Resources in Engelmann Hall.

Construction & Demolition Debris

Carpet- By department request, most carpet can be recycled as part of a new install.

Pallets-All pallets at theUniversityServicesBuilding, which handles the campus inventory, are recycled

Ceiling Tile-Special cases only.Through a vendor, properly palletized ceiling tile is recycled on campus.Old ceiling tile can be used to make new ceiling tile.

Yard Waste-The Grounds Department regularly recycles yard waste on the campus grounds.This was one of the original products that UWM recycled, since around 1984.

Current Recycled MaterialsMetal-Ongoing for construction debris, facilities repair, and unusable metal fixtures & furnitureConcrete & Brick-Special cases only.The Student Union recycled the brick of the computer lab renovation in the Summer of 08.

Recycling was an important aspect of the Golda Meir Library renovation CompostAt UWM, the Sandburg Caf currently collects its pre-cooked kitchens scraps- potato peelings, strawberry hauls, etc,- for making compost.

6,000 pounds of pre-cooked kitchen scraps per weekFormally picked up by Growing Power

Currently diverted to campus hoop house for garden soilComposting, a process that breaks down organic materials into a rich soil, is a great way to prevent organic material from entering the traditional waste stream and ending up in a landfill.

The benefits of composting are twofold: First, waste is reducedSecond, rich soil is produced to use in gardening.

Hazardous Waste RecyclingThe University Safety & Assurances Environmental Affairs department has led the charge to minimize and manage hazardous waste on campus. By either finding a less toxic replacement, replacing hazardous chemical use with non-chemical methods, re-engineering chemical activities to use less chemicals, ordering smaller quantities of chemicals to match need, or even finding a reuse for surplus chemicals, US & A minimizes and recycles the use of hazardous waste on campus.

A printable reference guide: http://www4.uwm.edu/usa/ep/disposalguide.cfm

Contact PJ Egan at (414) 550-9190 for hazardous waste pickupsTo recycle printer cartridges, first look for packaging provided by vendor to send cartridges directly back to the company. If no packaging can be found Safety & Assurances will pick up cartridges.

BatteriesBatteries can be picked up by contacting UWM Safety and Assurances at (414) 550-9190UWM collects many types of batteries, including Nickel-Cadmium, Lithium Ion, Nickel metal hydride, Lead acid and Lead gel-cell batteries.Alkaline batteries, the common batteries used in many appliances, may be tossed into the normal trash. However, before disposing make sure the batteries are taped at both ends. This prevents the terminals from touching which can start a fire.

Techno TrashMedia formats change over time.The campus has a growing need to manage microfiche, CDs, DVDs, video tapes, and cassette tapes.Through Kard Recycling, UWM has been able to recycle these items at a nominal cost.This program is just for media; all other electronic waste hardware is handled through the Surplus program.Since most of these materials come from our Library, the collection for techno trash is handled by the Facilities Manager of the Golda Meir Library.

To recycle techno trash media, contact:Kim SilbersackUWM LibrariesFacilities Managerkimsack@uwm.edu

To date: 5,000 lbs+ of techno trash have been averted from the landfill through this program

UWM Surplus ProgramSurplus Dos and DontsDo- Plan aheadDo- Fill out the Surplus Declaration Form completely and send to surplusproperty@uwm.eduDo- Call with questions

Dont- Leave surplus in the hallwayDont- Pile up surplus in corners and closets until it is difficult to manageThe UWM Surplus Program helps manage unwanted furniture, equipment, & computers from campus, by either finding a new use for it in another department, selling it online to the public, donating items to area non-profits, or by recycling it as scrap.

If you have unwanted items that your office or department need to get rid of, simply fill out theSurplus Declaration Formand send it to surplusproperty@uwm.edu.Please note on the Surplus Declaration Form anything that might be hazardous waste.Items are generally picked up within 1-5 days.

For any questions about surplus contact 414.229.3465

Surplus continuedTo browse or pick up items, come to:UniversityServices& ResearchBuilding115 E. Reindl WayGlendale,WI53212(One block north of 1standCapital Drive)Items are also available to the public through an online auction site called SWAP (Surplus with a purpose). SWAP is located at https://mds.bussvc.wisc.edu/swap/home.asp. All items purchased are available for pickup at theUniversityServicesand Research Building.

In order to save costs for UWM departments, some surplus items are kept for new campus use.Reuse between departments is encouraged.There is a regular, but alternating inventory of desks, tables, filing cabinets, chairs, bookcases, and office supplies stored at theUniversityServicesBuilding.All items are available to the campus at no charge, but pickup is the responsibility of the recipient.

E-WasteAt UWM all electronic waste, including computers, printers, copiers, computer mice, and keyboards are handled through the UWM Surplus Programand are repurposed through the company Universal Recycling Technologies. URT provides certification that all items are wiped clean.Did you know there are 3.19 million tons of electronics in the U.S. municipal waste stream? Thats equal to throwing out 7,257 Boeing 747s!

E-Waste collected from campusRecycleMania

During 8 weeks each spring UWM competes to reduce waste, increase recycling and raise awareness of conservation issues across campus. Each week throughout the competition Veolia and Waste Management track the campus waste and recycling, and these numbers are compared to campuses across the county.

Since 2009 UW-Milwaukee has participated in the international campus waste and recycling competition calledRecycleMania, a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities.RecycleMania interns performing a waste audit in the School of Architecture & Urban Planning during 2011 competition