- February 8, 2012
- 12:01 am
- Jessica Reynolds
- no comments
Reduce, reuse, recycle
In 2010, Americans generated about 250 million tons of trash, but recycled only 85 million tons of it (34.1 percent), the Environmental Protection Agency reports. During this year’s national RecycleMania contest, the University is reiterating the two R’s that come before “Recycle” to help reduce our country’s high rate of waste.
From February 5 to March 31, Loyola’s Division of Facilities Management is regularly weighing all the recyclables collected on campus and comparing the results with those of more than 500 colleges and universities for the eight-week, nationwide RecycleMania competition. At the end of the contest, schools are ranked in three categories: most recyclables on a per capita basis, best recyclable-to-trash ratio, and least amount of combined trash and recyclables.
Loyola is only competing in the main category, which is the total weight recycled and the weight recycled per capita, says William Curtin, director of environmental studies. Loyola is unable to provide accurate weights of the trash that is collected because the small trash compactors and commercial containers on campus are picked up by a city garbage truck on route, not Loyola’s own, Curtin explains.
During the RecycleMania competition, Loyola is focused on reducing its waste, says Gina Lettiere, director for the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy. “We’re taking it back to that first ‘R.’ We want people to be conscious of those items that are not recyclable, and think about how to reduce those products from ending up in a landfill.”
Throughout RecycleMania’s run, information and statistics about recycling are being displayed around campus and on the digital screens. To complement the contest’s run, the University’s Consumption Reduction and Recycling program is hosting sorting competitions for recyclables in the Centennial Forum Student Union, Simpson lobby, and Baumhart lobby. Also, trivia questions will appear on the Inside Loyola news site, and University departments and residence halls are competing to see who has the best recycling practices.
Last year, Loyola collected 299 tons of recyclables, an average of 24 tons per month, and ranked 73 out of 363 higher-education institutions in the recycling weights category, according to the University’s website.
Lettiere stresses the importance of participants knowing exactly what is and what is not recyclable.
What is recyclable: paper, newspaper, magazines, cardboard, food boxboard, cans, tin foil, plastics #1-5 and 7, and glass bottles.
What is NOT recyclable: plastic bags, Styrofoam, plastic #6, paper towels, napkins, tissues, food and candy wrappers, and any greasy cups, containers, or pizza boxes.
A few little known facts about recycling:
- Paper towels, napkins, and tissues are not recyclable because the fibers are too short
- Plastic caps do not have to be removed from bottles before you toss them in the blue bins; the caps are recyclable, too
- Paper is kept separate from other recyclables because it is taken to its own recycling center, as it’s worth more money than other recyclables
The University is also collecting small electronics and print cartridges for the next several weeks. Drop off old cell phones, MP3 players, graphing calculators, digital cameras, and other small devices in the designated recycle bins on both campuses. The locations are:
Lake Shore Campus: Flanner Hall first floor by the chemistry office, the east lobby of Quinlan Life Sciences Center, and the Digital Media Lab in the Klarchek Information Commons.
Water Tower Campus: Corboy Law Center Digital Media Lab, room 608 and the Terry Student Center in Baumhart Hall.
Recycled electronics do not count toward Loyola’s RecycleMania rankings, explains Lettiere, but the University wants to raise awareness about the collective bins for people needing to get aged appliances off their hands. A new Illinois law that went into effect in January forbids tossing unwanted electronic devices into the trash or kicking them to the curb due to environmental concerns, so the University is providing a convenient outlet for disposal, Lettiere says.
To find out more information about RecycleMania 2012, please visit the University’s Consumption Reduction & Recycling Program’s website.
