Waste Reduction and Recycling

Working Group Minutes

Meeting Minutes
January 11, 2006

Attendees: Mike Buckley, Gary Laverdiere, Dale Hennessey, John Fortini, Sue Cote, Mark Bielas, Julie Parks, Rene Davis, Erin Coates, Louise Labrie, Roger Guzowski, Nancy Apple

I. 5-College Recycling Coordinator

Roger Guzowski is the new (recycled) 5-College Recycling Coordinator.  Roger was the first person to hold that position when it was created and has been at California State University at Sacramento for the past 5 years. 

II. Construction and Demolition Debris

A state disposal ban on construction and demolition debris (asphalt, brick, concrete, metal, wood) goes into effect on July 1, 2006.  Contractors will be responsible for large projects.  For smaller projects, in-house and contractor, FM will establish a sorting area in the FM storage yard.
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III. RecycleMania

RecycleMania runs January 29th through April 18th.  We will be using campus-wide data from vendor weight slips for the national competition.  EAC volunteers will count residence hall recycling for an inter-hall competition.  This year we are measuring both recycling rates (lbs/person) and waste minimization (total lbs/person of recyclables and trash) for the campus competition. The hall competition will measure recyclables.

Several waste reduction methods were discussed. Paper is a large portion of office discards.  Institutional decisions on providing double sided printing capability to offices need to be clarified.  The campus has gone to more on-line distribution of documents, but anecdotal observation indicates that many people print them out for reading as opposed to reading on-line and storing electronically.  This saves the source office on printing but increases printing in recipient offices.  If the source office would have printed double sided and the recipient office does not print double sided, it increases paper use.

LITS does not recommend that printed paper be reinserted into printers for printing on the back side as the ink can contaminate the machine. Louise will look into options for binding used paper into scratch pads.

The purchase of furniture by individual offices is also a concern as it may not be quality furniture that will have a long life.  There has been an increase of the past few years in offices buying furniture instead of going through FM.

IV. EAC Activities Report

EAC will be organizing ‘Garbage’ Day in early February.  They will separate trash from a residence hall to determine how much material in trash could have been recycled.