RecycleMania 2006

 

Midd Shines in National RecycleMania Competition Dominates NESCAC - and Has Room to Improve

April 19, 2006

For the first time ever, Midd competed in the US Environmental Protection Agency's annual national RecycleMania contest. We put our campus wide efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle up against some tough competitors - 100 schools from 33 states across the country - many of which have strong waste management programs. We performed admirably, reaffirming what we already know: 1) that we have one of the best campus waste management systems in the country with an outstanding staff who make it work well and 2) strong participation by faculty, students and staff. We also learned from this competition where we need to improve in our program.

Seven Categories of Competition

There are seven RecycleMania categories that schools can compete in. We chose to compete in all of them:

Grand Champion - the school that, based on their combined results, demonstrates the greatest achievement in both source reduction and recycling.

Per Capita Classic - Schools compete to see which can collect the largest amount of acceptable recyclables per person.

Waste Minimization - Schools compete to see which produces the least amount of solid waste (including both recyclables and trash) per person. This competition rewards those schools that generate the least amount of waste and recyclables, emphasizing reuse and source reduction over recycling.

Targeted Materials - In addition to reporting the total amount of materials recycled, schools have the option to report recycled materials separately, including bottles and cans, corrugated cardboard, food service organics, and paper.

Results

We competed both nationally and with other schools in the New England Small Schools Athletic Conference. How did we do? The tables below summarizes our performance in comparison to the NESSCAC schools and where we ranked nationally in the above categories.

Here are the highlights of our performance:

Number one nationally in food service organics - here's where we shined brightly. We claimed the number one spot nationally by collecting an average of 53 pounds of food waste per person over the ten-week period of the competition. Our food waste is composted on campus and used to fertilize our landscaping, the organic garden and other vegetation. And when we serve organic produce from the garden in the dining halls, we are closing the loop by turning food waste into food. It doesn't get any better than that from an ecological perspective.
 Congratulations to the food service and recycling staff and diners - and the organic gardeners!

Number one in four of the seven categories among NESCAC schools - Grand Champions, Waste Minimization, Corrugated Cardboard and Organics

Finished in the top ten in six of the seven categories nationally - Grand Champions, Per Capita Classic, Organics, Paper, Corrugated Cardboard, and Bottles and Cans

What Did We Learn?

One of the key insights that emerges from the competition results is that the real prize is in minimizing the waste we generate. Recycling materials and reusing them is a good thing and helps reduce the size of our ecological footprint. But there is more to be gained by minimizing waste production because it eliminates the need to send "stuff" to the landfill where it does no one any good. This is the one category in which we did not place in the top ten schools nationally (we were 31st ).

So, what can you do to reduce the amount of waste we produce on campus? Here are a few ideas. Some of you are probably already doing these things. Encourage your colleagues and peers to do the same. A near-zero waste campus is within our grasp!

• Try to purchase products that reduce waste Ð products that:

      - are designed to last a long time (long warranties and
        repair service options when appropriate).

      - Have replaceable parts so they are easy to repair.

      - Can be easily reused or recycled.

      - Are made from recycled materials.

      - Do not contain toxic materials.

      - Have minimal packaging, if any.

• Show your commitment to using resources wisely by stating in bid packets that Middlebury College expects suppliers to participate in waste prevention and recycling. Ask vendors to identify products that promote waste prevention and recycling.

• Consider using cost savings from waste reduction activities to pay for more expensive but less wasteful products.

• Consider alternatives to disposable and single-use products.

• Re-evaluate items purchased or free to use. Are they really necessary? (For example, do you really need to drink from a straw?).

• Carry a refillable water bottle or your Middlebury Coffee mug for beverages.

• Purchase products that don’t need batteries.

• Select non-toxic or less toxic products. Read labels. When possible, select products that do not have warnings and do not require special handling or ventilation.

• Purchase products without packaging, with less packaging, or that are packed in reusable packaging. Ask suppliers not to overpackage orders. (You may have to keep asking over and over!).

• Ask vendors to take back packaging. In some cases they may be able to reuse it. Alternatively, save and reuse packaging materials. Offer excess packaging materials to businesses that can use them.

• Use the two sided printing option on copiers and printers.

Special thanks to Missy Beckwith,Recycling Program Manager, and Alexandra Shays Coleman '08 for their help in making our participation in RecycleMania Õ06 a success.

__________________________________________________

January 29, 2006  - April 8, 2006

Dear Colleagues and Students:

Middlebury College is a world-class recycler and our reputation is on the line.  We have joined a national competition among Ivies, NESCAC and 93 colleges and universities for two coveted titles in the Olympics of the recycling world (list of colleges at http://www.recyclemaniacs.org/universities.asp) 

Middlebury is competing with these schools in the US Environmental Protection Agency's RecycleMania campaign now through April 8.  We want to win trophies for the highest recycling rate per person and the lowest waste produced per person.  This competition is campus-wide and includes everyone here at Middlebury - studetns, faculty and staff.

How you can participate:

• Recycle everything you can (copy the list below)
• Watch for new compost and recycling signs at the Grille
• Check our quick, weekly emails for details on Midd's progress and the energy and resource benefits of reducing our waste
• View OneEarth's brief, beautifully photographed videos at the Juice Bar.

Regardless of the outcome, everyone wins by reducing waste and increasing what we recycle.  As in any ecosystem, everyone can play a part.

Go Easy on the Earth.  Go Hard on the Competition.

Yours,
Jack Byrne
Campus Sustainability Coordinator

Recyclable Materials: 

Plastic: (#1-7)
- Drink Bottles
- Yogurt containers (clean)
- Clear plastic take-out containers (clean)
- Laundry detergent bottles

Glass:

- All glass containers

Metal:

- Aluminum cans
- All other cans
- Aluminum take-out containers (the bottoms, not the lids)

Paper:

- All office paper and envelopes (Post-Its and windows ok)- Newspaper
- Cardboard
- Boxboard (used in cereal boxes, etc.)
- Magazines
- Hardcover and paperback books
- Telephone books
- College publications

Other recyclable stuff:

- Printer and copier toner cartridges (put in bag to prevent leakage and place next to bin)
- CDs and transparencies

Compostable Materials: 
- All food waste

What cannot be recycled (or composted):

- Paper cups (because of wax coating)
- Paper plates (because of wax coating)
- Used paper towels and napkins
- CD jewel boxes

Got something that can't be recycled?  Can it be reused?  Drop it off at the re-use trailer at the Recycling Center.  Every ounce counts!

How to Print Double Sided Pages (for a PC or Mac)