Recycling Matters
    Summer 1995

FEATURES:

New Materials to be Recycled in Fall 1995
What's to be recycled, and how the MRF made it happen.

Getting to the Future Recycling Environment
Preparing staff for new recycling procedures.

Business School and Engineering Administration Spring Clean
The School of Business Administration recycled 7.5 tons in a single day.

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View from The Curb

Thanks for your continued interest in Recycling Matters on campus. Last month, we held several Recycling Town Meetings for University staff to learn about the new recycling initiatives explained in the article at right. Given the positive feedback and high interest expressed by attendees, we plan to host similar meetings later this Fall for those of you who may have missed the June sessions. We'll keep you posted if you are on our regular mailing list. Keep on recycling.

Telephone Books: Waste Less by Sharing

A great way to reduce waste is to share telephone books in your office. Even though phone books can now be recycled, it is better to reduce and reuse before recycling. This year, order fewer books for your office and encourage sharing instead. Orders for the Ameritech directory delivered to campus are being coordinated through UM Telecommunications this month. Contact that department to reduce your order.

SEO Reduces Paper Waste, Saves Money

Last year, the Student Employment Office discontinued the weekly printing of work study job listings and now posts jobs on the UM-GopherBlue system electronically. According to Vickie Crupper, Student Employment Coordinator, this has saved her department nearly 73 reams of copier paper.

New Materials to be Recycled In Fall 1995

This fall, staff, faculty and students will be able to recycle many new materials. Grounds & Waste Management Services is accepting new items in the recycling program, as well as simplifying the separation of current ones.

Why the big change? The much-talked about City of Ann Arbor Material Recovery Facility (or MRF, rhymes with "smurf") is opening this September. The University entered a ten-year agreement with Resource Recovery Systems, Inc., the private company hired to operate the MRF on behalf of the City. All materials collected for recycling at the University will be delivered to the new facility "commingled," or all mixed together. The facility will use new technologies, equipment and workers to sort the materials so they can be processed and shipped off separately to manufacturers who turn the paper, glass, plastics and other materials into new products.

So what does all this hub-bub mean for the University community? More items in the recycling bin; less waste in the trash dumpster! It also means a more efficient collection system for Waste Management Services. All recyclable paper materials will be stored in blue recycling dumpsters located at each building's loading dock. Materials will be picked up using a larger front-end loading truck, rather than the rear-loading truck that's in use today. This enables Waste Management to pick up more materials from more locations in a day.

The new program puts all recyclable items into two main categories: "Paper" and "Containers." Paper includes the current papers we recycle, plus new items like telephone books and gray boxboard. Containers include glass bottles, metal cans and #2 plastic jugs plus many new materials such as #1 and #3 plastic bottles, juice boxes, milk cartons, ceramics, small scrap metal and aerosol cans.

Getting to the Future Recycling Environment

Now that we have announced what new materials will be recycled, it seems everyone wants to know when and how we will collect them. First, we ask all our recycling supporters to please be patient. The road to reaching the future recycling system entails many changes: placing new bins inside each building for Containers; placing new recycling dumpsters at buildings that do not currently have one; replacing all the signs and decals on newspaper and office paper recycling cans; testing a new collection vehicle; working with the new recycling facility; training all staff of Building Services, Housing Facilities and Dining Services; and... well, you get the point. Unfortunately, these changes will not occur simultaneously in all buildings, but rather over a period of many weeks. Our approximate timeline for implementing some of theses changes is as follows.

As of September 1, 1995, all "Paper" products listed on page 2 can be recycled together in any recycling bin (i.e., for newspapers or office paper) or in any blue recycling dumpster. The "Containers" listed on page 2 can be recycled in existing "Bottles and Cans" bins or at loading docks that already have this service.

In late August 1995, new recycling dumpsters will be delivered to buildings that are slated to receive one. In September, new bins for "Containers" will be added to most buildings, and all paper recycling bins will receive new labels. Getting to each building will take several weeks. During this time, we plan to work with each building's recycling contact person and custodial supervisor to help implement the changeover and promote the new system to building occupants. (Sometime along the way, we will also be dealing with the rush of students moving back onto campus, and making similar program changes for Northwood Family Housing.) Again, we thank you for your patience and cooperation in the meantime.

Business School and Engineering Administration Spring Clean

What happened when the School of Business Administration stopped daily operations and routines for one day so that every staff member could clean out his or her office? Over 14,000 pounds of recyclable office papers, newspapers, magazines and files were recycled. A lot of planning and hard work went into making the day, known as "Green Clean Day," a success.

The idea was started by the School's Green Team, which was assembled to handle environmental issues within the School. According to the team, the purpose of Green Clean Day was to clean the entire building "emphasizing recycling, reorganizing and reusing." The team, working with Waste Management Services and Building Services, selected a Friday in May to receive special recycling and waste disposal services. The day's itinerary included designated times for cleaning personal work spaces, storage areas and common areas. Posters and flyers directed staff in how to handle discarded items as either recyclable, reusable or, as a last resort, trash. Carts were provided to collect recyclable papers within offices and hallways. Reusable items like file folders, looseleaf binders, diskettes and small office furniture were collected for a departmental exchange. Captains were selected in each area to coordinate all tasks.

The event was not just a day of cleaning and hard work. Participants also enjoyed a continental breakfast and lunch.

Later in May, the offices of Engineering Administration took the opportunity to do some spring cleaning as well. The department, located in EECS building on North Campus, will be moving to a new location this Fall. They decided to purge old files prior to their move. Their efforts amounted to 10,000 pounds of paper recycled.

If you would like to schedule a clean-out day for your department, contact Waste Management Services for help in planning.

Content modified: August 6, 2001

Please direct questions and comments to Recycling (get address) (38.107.191.115).

*This website is intended for use by University of Michigan faculty, staff and students. Please keep questions limited to recycling and waste disposal within the University and Washtenaw County.

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