DON’T GIVE UP ON THE SOLO CUP The use of the Solo Cup is inevitable, what happens to it afterward is not Global Sustainability, Fall 2014 Prof. Carla Jones Workshop Leader: Olivia Milroy Team Members: Carolyn Albright and Hallie Martin

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS Problem Definition Stakeholders Approaches Initial Findings The Solution: TerraCycle Schedule Community Engagement Plan Budget Proposal and Funding Prototype Costs Process Costs Funding Opportunities Constraints The Voice of Recycling

Slot Availability Participation Recruiting Representatives

Documentation and Assessment Dissemination Future Work Conclusion Lessons Learned Works Cited Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D

 

PROBLEM DEFINITION  

Fraternities at the University of Virginia use an excessive number of Solo cups, a #6 plastic, at social events and often do not properly dispose of them. Solo cups contain polystyrene, a plastic with a #6 identification code, which is a Styrofoam that has been condensed to create the hard plastic of the popular cup. The specific number on a product indicates the type of recycling process the product requires. Polystyrene is difficult to recycle because it requires a cleaning phase before recycling can proceed. Many recycling programs do not include #6 plastics because of this and their capacity to leak potentially toxic chemicals. Although Charlottesville Recycling accepts #6 plastic cups, the proper steps required to utilize this facility process are often not taken by our target audience. Those measures include the simple act of placing the cups in the proper receptacle, as well as cleaning them prior to disposal. Plastics with a #6 identification can be recycled if its clean of food or drink contaminants, but this is not a feasible expectation for members of Greek life. Thus, Solo cups need an extra level of care that common, street-side recycling cannot give them. The main problem with Solo cups lies in their disposal, which is notably different than other plastics.

Solo cups’ manifestation extends far beyond the boundaries of Greek life and college parties. However we

are targeting this community because of its proximity and apparent abuse of the solo cup – both in excessive use and improper disposal. Originally, we hoped to prove that this would be an advantage for us as we researched the use of solo cups and examined the feasibility of instituting a replacement. However we discovered that fraternities will likely not benefit from solo cup alternatives as they are more expensive, less convenient and do not serve their desired purpose, i.e. durability for drinking games. Therefore, the next step was to design an effective program that mitigated the unavoidable use of the solo cup and lack of recycling.

Our goal is to address the challenges associated with recycling plastic #6, specifically in regard to Solo cups

at fraternities at the University of Virginia. Success will be measured in terms of fraternity involvement/compliance with the Solo Cup Brigade. A major part of achieving our goal lies in fraternity cooperation since they are the main source of Solo cups. We are hoping that we will be able to work in tandem with fraternity members to implement a solution that they are able and willing to continue in the future. Stakeholders

• The Environment Plastics such as polyethylene and polystyrene are not completely biodegradable and therefore persist in the environment as micro-fragments. These small pieces of plastic can come to reside in compost soil if not recycled properly and can be transported into waterways via run-off or wind. Once in rivers, streams, and oceans, marine organisms ingest the small particles, which then bioaccumulate in the food chain (Brinton, Dietz, Bouyounan, and Matsch 2011). Filter feeders are especially susceptible to the micro-fragments, and given their place at the bottom of the food chain, can transmit the plastic contaminants to larger predators, eventually making its way up to humans. Soil health and nutrition is also a concern as plastics contain chemicals and heavy metals that leech into soil overtime. This effect is particularly common at landfill and compost sites where plastics accumulate because they do not biodegrade at a reasonable rate (Thompson, Moore, vom Saal, & Swan, 2009).

Our primary concerns were related to the environment and sustainability. Thus, our parameters for a solution to the identified problem included ease of disposal, recyclability/reuse potential, and having minimal effects on soil and waterways.

 

• Fraternity Members The main interests of this group were price, vendor convenience, durability, and weight for drinking games such as beer pong.

• Philanthropies

The organizations, partnered with fraternities, which will receive the monetary benefits from the Solo cup-recycling brigade.

• UVa Sustainable Community

The use of the solo cup is an apparent concern to the University, which strives daily to become a more sustainable community.

• TerraCycle Invested in worldwide recycling practices with a specific program for Solo cups. They have offices set up in numerous countries and are looking to expand their impact to colleges and universities. APPROACH Initial Findings

We began by looking at alternatives to Solo cups and plastic cups in general. Paper cups initially seemed like the best option, but after further research into their production and disposal we found that there were multiple conflicts between the paper cup and our parameters as well as between the interests of our stakeholders.

Paper Plastic Production • Consumes clean water

• Emits CO2 into the atmosphere • Requires deforestation • Includes an interior wax/plastic

lining

• Polystyrene consumes petroleum and natural gas

• Contain a significant amount of carbon

Disposal • Interior lining prevents biodegradability and recyclability

• Recycling can harness the carbon for biodiesel engines and building foundations

Following investigation into the production and disposal of paper cups, we concluded that they were not a

viable alternative to plastic cups in terms of their environmental impact and likelihood of use at fraternities. Firstly, the process of producing a paper cup is not necessarily more eco-friendly than that of a plastic cup. The entire process of making a paper cup consumes a significant amount of water, about 200 liters per cup, and contributes to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions (Raghavan & Notaras, 2009). The polystyrene in plastic cups is petroleum based and therefore utilizes oil and natural gas resources during production. Thus, both paper and plastic cup manufacture take a toll on non-renewable natural resources and are relatively equal in terms of environmental impact from the production standpoint.

Although paper cups are primarily composed of paper, they cannot be treated solely as paper waste when

being recycled because they are lined with a thin coat of plastic. This plastic prevents the cup from getting soggy and maintains the temperature of the liquid, however, due to the plastic lining, these cups cannot be composted. When these paper cups are composted, they leave plastic particles from the interior lining that do not biodegrade.

 

The plastic-based wax lining predominant in paper cups is made from polyethylene, a common plastic used particularly for product coating. Woods End Laboratories performed testing on the aerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in order to determine how long the plastic would persist in the environment (Brinton, Dietz, Bouyounan, and Matsch, 2011). Under controlled environmental conditions, their tests showed that after 180 days the plastic coating itself did not biodegrade and that it also inhibited biodegradation of the cup’s paper layer. The plastic did, however, break into smaller fragments, which can disperse throughout soil and waterways. The effects of micro-plastic fragments on the environment are further described in the previous section on environmental stakeholders.

Cups made of plastic #6 are not biodegradable and difficult to recycle. Yet when it is properly recycled, polystyrene can be reused to make a variety of other products and also has recoverable energy. Therefore, even though energy is required to make the plastic, some of that energy can be recovered and used to generate power in other ways, such as powering a 60-watt light bulb (Polystyrene Packaging Council). The Solo cups that would usually be cast off as waste can, in fact, be reused to make other products or used as an energy source.

Given that the interior lining in paper cups hinders their biodegradability, they were not considered to be an environmentally friendly solution to the plastic Solo cup. Additionally, the paper cups contained a small portion of plastic and therefore would not minimize the amount of plastic entering the environment. Since polystyrene had reuse and energy recovery potential, we thought it worthwhile to focus on harnessing these aspects by developing a new disposal procedure. Furthermore, this would reduce waste sent to landfills and reduce the amount of natural resources used to meet energy demand. The Solution: TerraCycle

TerraCycle is an organization founded in 2001 based out of Trenton, New Jersey. It offers a fast and easy way for recycling a variety of materials that are not widely accepted by community recycling programs. The organization supports an initiative called the Solo Cup Brigade that is specifically designed to recycle the #6 plastic cups. The program accepts all #6 plastic cups and does not require that they be cleaned prior to shipping, a crucial first step in recycling this type of plastic. The recycling process at TerraCycle includes a cleaning process, making it easier on the participant and ensuring that the plastic is contaminant free, enabling recycling and reuse. TerraCycle also offers a point system in which two points are awarded for each unit of waste. These points can be redeemed for charitable gifts (preserve wildlife, plant trees, provide food to hungry, provide school supplies, etc.) or for a payment of $0.01 per point to a non-profit organization of choice. There are only three steps that need to be completed following the free TerraCycle member sign-up:

1. Collect the Solo cups in designated waste bins. 2. Package the waste into boxes and attach the free shipping label available at www.terracycle.com. 3. Ship the package to the TerraCycle facility by delivering it to the nearest UPS location.

 

With two Solo Cup Brigade receptacles at each fraternity house, the collection process is easy. Anyone at anytime can put a #6 plastic cup in the easily identifiable disposal containers. Ideally the containers will be accessible during the week and also the weekend, when fraternity events are held. The second step is driven by the Solo Cup Brigade Representatives, who are volunteers with a passion for sustainability. Each Fraternity will be paired with a representative that will organize bi-weekly pickups, packaging and shipments to TerraCycle, where step 3 takes place.

The final step in the figure above refers to TerraCycle’s point system through which fraternities will be able

to make monetary donations to their philanthropy of choice. We believe this will serve as an effective incentive to participate in the brigade since each fraternity is already partnered with a specific charity. Furthermore, the points provide an opportunity to facilitate a friendly competition between the fraternities, such as awarding a prize to the fraternity that accumulates the most points within a certain time period. One potential prize is the monetary sum generated by the points from each fraternity’s Solo cup shipments over the course of a month. This money would be donated to the winning fraternity’s philanthropy. SCHEDULE By the end of fall semester 2014 we will have finalized a clear, definitive outline of the problem and how to address it. It is our hope that we will be able to begin action toward executing our solution starting next semester, spring 2015.

End of fall semester 2014 • Completed project definition, outline, and implementation report

Beginning of spring semester 2015

• Meet with members of Student Council, Sustainability at UVa and IFC

• Contact TerraCycle to sign up for a slot on the Solo Cup Brigade

January 20th, 2015 • Submit application for Grounds Up Sustainability Grant

February 2015

• Begin visiting fraternities to describe our project and how we plan to engage the fraternities

• Place order for Solo cup collection receptacles • Assign representatives to each fraternity

March – May 2015

• Begin bi-weekly Solo cup collections from fraternities

• Update TerraCycle points on a bi-weekly basis • Continue to develop website (Appendix D) • Intra-fraternity TerraCycle point competition

End of May 2015

• Distribute evaluations for fraternity members to complete (Appendix C)

• Compile responses from the evaluations and assess the fraternities’ reactions to the brigade program

• Based on evaluations and conversations with chapter presidents, determine whether or not the fraternities are prepared to take on brigade responsibility

 

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Our goal is to engage the student body through a variety of methods that involve, inform, consult, collaborate and empower the university community.

Engagement Method Description Level of Engagement

Fraternity Representatives

There will be at least one representative for each fraternity who will initially collect, package, and ship the Solo cups. These individuals will also be responsible for weighing and recording the packages in order to keep

track of TerraCycle points.

Involve

Events & Competition • Recycling competitions between the fraternities with the winner being the fraternity that accumulates the most TerraCycle points over a certain time period.

• Publicity competition between the fraternities – which chapter can create the most creative

advertisement/promotional for the Solo cup brigade.

Involve/Empower

Video Create/screen an instructional video to show each fraternity chapter meetings describing the brigade and the

reasons for recycling Solo cups.

Inform

Surveys Collect feedback from each fraternity on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to gauge how well the brigade is going and

its effectiveness

Consult/Collaborate

Social Media Create a Facebook page and website containing relevant news on recycling, recycling initiatives at other

colleges/universities, and each fraternity’s current TerraCycle points. The website will also be a place where

brigade participants can make comments and suggestions. We will also utilize YikYak, Twitter,

Instagram and other forms of social media to reach out to students around grounds.

Inform/Involve

Activities Fair Advertise the brigade, its goals, and its accomplishments. This will be a chance to increase student awareness and

participation around grounds.

Inform/Involve

Internal Fraternity Position

If the initiative proves successful and member participation is high, there is the potential to establish a

fraternal brigade position. This individual will take over the responsibilities of the former brigade mentor.

Empower

 

BUDGET PROPOSAL AND FUNDING Prototype Cost Our main focus is catering to the needs of the Greek Community. An easily identifiable receptacle prototype – a giant Solo cup – will make collecting #6 cups simple. We have compiled a list of easily attainable and reasonably priced components that will allow our Brigade to engineer the Solo cup receptacles. ACE Hardware manufactures thirty-two ounce red trashcans, which will serve as the main containment device. Using Staples Home & Office Sticker Paper, we will print, cut out and adhere the 4 solo cup letters to the ACE hardware trashcans, as depicted in the image to the right. In order to ensure durability, the letters will be coated with Krylon Preserve It Aerosol Spray, acting as a waterproof sealant. Our hope is that the receptacles will closely resemble a Solo cup, therefore using Krylon Fusion For Painting and FrogTape Trim Painters Tape, we will add details to enhance the likeness. There are thirty-one fraternities at the University of Virginia, and our goal is to supply each chapter with two receptacles. Using the materials described above, the cost of producing sixty-two top of line Solo cup disposal containers is $1624.78. Process Costs There are a few minor costs in addition to the production of the receptacle that we must consider: printing and packaging. First, we are going to equip each receptacle with proper signage identifying the purpose and goal of the Solo Cup Brigade:

In order to do so, paper and printing money must be considered in the budget. We plan to use Futura 11 x 17 White Glossy Paper and the CIO printing services in the Students Activities Center. We also plan to use the same method of printing for the shipping labels provided by TerraCycle. We did not factor shipping boxes into the budget because there are several on grounds facilities that freely give away used cardboard boxes. Therefore we will reach

 

out to Observatory Hill and Newcomb Dining Halls, as well the University Bookstore, to acquire the necessary boxes. Lastly tape will be needed to package and secure the labels, as well as hang our receptacle signs; we have included Scotch Heavy Duty Packing Tape into the equation. The additional process costs equal $122.54, making the grand total $1747.32. See Appendix B for Budget Proposal Specifics. Funding Opportunities We have identified two possible funding opportunities: From the Grounds Up Sustainability Grant and the GIFT Grant. From the Grounds Up Sustainability Grants award project proposals that honor UVa’s sustainability goals and are evaluated based on “their level of direct impact on grounds, feasibility, innovation, replicability, and scalability,” (Office for Sustainability). It is also noted that projects with a return on investment are desired, and as mentioned above TerraCycle gives two cents per cup back to the supplier of recyclable goods to allocate to the philanthropy of choice. Applications are due January 20, 2015, and if awarded, an on-grounds Solo Cup Brigade could become a reality in the spring of 2015. The GIFT Grant is another potential funding source. This year the GIFT Grant Allocation Committee has $30,000 to award to green initiatives at the University. Although applications were due November 14th, we see the GIFT Grant as an opportunity in the future to sustain the Solo Cup Brigade in its Fall 2015 endeavors (GIFT). CONSTRAINTS The Voice of Recycling The voice of recycling within the Greek Community is lacking. While interviewing a member of Pi Kappa Alpha about his fraternity’s concern for recycling and their efforts towards the cause, he said, “No one cares about recycling.” Unfortunately after speaking with university Greek members, this was the general attitude towards recycling. The overall goal of “Don’t Give Up on the Solo Cup” seeks to change this mindset. Not only do we hope to show the Greek community that recycling through TerraCycle by way of the Solo-cup Brigade Representatives is easy, but we also hope to show that their waste has a higher purpose than ending up in a landfill. Their waste can be transformed into new useful products, and they can earn money to give back towards their philanthropy. Our program connects recycling to more than just reducing waste and conserving resources; it connects recycling to the good of the community. Slot Availability The TerraCycle Solo Cup Brigade currently has 4,850 collection locations in the United States, collecting over 2,985,647 units and raising over $74,761.49. Due to their great success, the company currently does not have any available location slots because the facility’s capacity to manage incoming waste is limited. We have contacted TerraCycle, inquiring about future slot availability and have yet to receive a response. However, we hope to establish a relationship with the organization and prove our commitment to their program. Participation In order to receive redeemable terrapoints, plastic #6 shipments must weigh at least 6 pounds, which is equivalent 230 cups. Therefore reaping the philanthropic benefits of the Solo Cup Brigade program is strictly contingent on fraternity participation.

 

Recruiting Representatives We recognize that the assuming the position of a brigade representative is a time commitment, however we also know that passion drives commitment. Representatives will need to dedicate a few hours bi-weekly to solo cup pickup, packaging and shipping. We see the Solo Cup Brigade as a legitimate CIO initiative that is sustained by volunteering, and like us, we believe that there are members in the community who are dedicated to implementing sustainable change. The success of the Solo Cup Brigade will be heavily influenced by our ability to reach out to the community, instill passion and spark involvement. DOCUMENTATION AND ASSESSMENT Tracking the success of a Greek life Solo Cup TerraCycle Brigade is straightforward. Through bi-weekly pickups, Solo Cup Brigade representatives will be able to observe the extent that cups are being disposed of in the designated receptacles, and ultimately recycled by the hands of TerraCycle. We do not require representatives to count each individual cup, however the representatives will need to weigh the bi-weekly collection of cups from each fraternity. This can easily be done at the UPS store when shipping. TerraCycle awards terrapoints based on weight, and the average unit weight for each cup is 0.0026 pounds. Therefore by packaging each fraternity’s waste in separate boxes, representatives can record individual fraternity contributions after pickups and assign appropriate terrapoints. Using the average weight estimate, projections can also be made about the number of Solo cups being recycled, which is easier to conceptualize as consumers.

Measuring the extent of recycling is only half of the assessment process; community dialogue and feedback is critical. First, there will be personal communication between chapter representatives and fraternities. At each bi-weekly pickup, representatives will share contribution reports and rankings. There will also be a website that all participants have access to as a way to track progress. This will allow for each fraternity to acknowledge their efforts individually and comparatively. We hope that through comparison, fraternities will compete with one another as well as hold each other accountable. Secondly, we want to give the community the opportunity to express their feedback. Representatives will administer semester evaluations to fraternities, which will inquire about participation experience and encourage comments and concerns. There will also be a forum on the website to allow for feedback and questions that is accessible at any time. See Appendix C for Sample Fraternity Evaluation. See Appendix D for Website Link and Webpage Images. DISSEMINATION The University provides several tools for advertising and dissemination, one of which includes the Student Activity webpage’s comprehensive guidelines on how to publicize on grounds. We plan to utilize HooView, Connections and Table Tents to promote the Solo Cup Brigade. HooView is a network-based display system that allows students display digital messages across any network-enabled screen on Grounds, such as in the Newcomb dining hall. We also foresee advertising on table tents in the dining halls and via email with Connections, which sends updates to the entire UVa listserv (Office of the Dean of Students). The use of social media will also be key in reaching out to the community. We live in a technological age, therefore we should utilize it. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YikYak are prevalent at UVa, and by creating a Solo Cup Brigade account for each, we will expand our audience. We will also encourage participants and members of the community to post on the organization’s behalf, especially by sharing our website. Aside from media outreach, we also want to emphasize face-to-face interaction and dialogue. By visiting fraternity chapter meetings, we can verbally communicate our mission, inspire, and provide updates on success. We

 

can also engage students in passing while tabling with flyers on the South Lawn, the Activities Fair, and other events throughout the year. While we believe that a wide scope of outreach is a key to success, the message we send to the community is equally as important. We are aiming to brand the Solo Cup Brigade as a green initiative that proves the multifaceted values of recycling. We want to connect recycling with community benefit – altering the attitude towards recycling from neutral to positive - while simultaneously highlighting its sustainable and environmental impact. FUTURE WORK

Eventually, we would like for the fraternities to take on the responsibilities of the representatives, making the Solo Cup Brigade a program that the fraternities themselves engage in and sustain. Our hope for the representatives is that they will demonstrate to the fraternities what needs to be done and jump start the brigade. Since the fraternity members have little interest in recycling to begin with, having someone else to help them adjust their practices and who is invested in recycling will hopefully make fraternities more likely to change their habits. Ideally, each chapter would create an internal position specifically to manage and monitor participation in the brigade.

We hope that with the help of Student Council and Sustainability at UVa, who have expressed interest in the

initiative, the Solo Cup brigade will be ready to implement by spring of 2015. By partnering with these two groups, we should be able to get other environmentalists around grounds involved and interested in becoming a fraternity representative. These larger groups will also be helpful for publicity purposes and promoting our project to fraternities. Based on our correspondence with members of Student Council and Sustainability at UVa, we are confident that they are supportive and willing to be involved in our project.

Currently, our next step is to meet in person with members of the preceding organizations and get their input

regarding the Solo Cup Brigade. Then we would look to present our project to the fraternities on grounds and explain to them the environmental impacts of plastic #6, creating a relevant personal connection to the problem. Then we would present our solution by providing information on how the Solo cup brigade works. The next fraternity visit would introduce the chapter to their brigade representative and provide them with their two designated Solo cup receptacles. From then on, bi-weekly collection times would be scheduled and the brigade coordinator will work closely with the fraternity. Surveys will be distributed at the end of each semester with specific questions of interest and to get general feedback. There will also be a space on the website where participants can make comments at any time. We will use this feedback to make any necessary adjustments. See Appendix A for Correspondence with Potential Partners. See Appendix C for Sample Fraternity Evaluation CONCLUSION Lessons Learned Over the course of the semester, we looked for a way to address Solo cup usage at fraternities on grounds at UVa. Initially, we wanted to phase out Solo cups all together by encouraging fraternities to use a cup made from a more sustainable, easily recycled material. Upon investigation of alternatives we found that there was not a viable solution that meet the demands of our stakeholders and our personal eco-friendly parameters. In contrast, using the plastic cups is not necessarily as detrimental to the environment as is improper disposal. This discrepancy forced us to reconfigure our approach to and perspective on the Solo cup, leading us to focus on the disposal of the cups rather than their actual consumption. The use of the Solo cup is inevitable, but what happens to it afterward is not.

 

The above statement refers to the fact that given societal stereotypes and perceptions of negative environmental impact, the Solo cup has remained a symbol college culture, unrepresentative of progressive sustainable thought. This disconnect is a reflection of the difficulty in cultivating a sustainable community – to simply put it, it is hard to break a habit. This issue speaks to the larger theme associated with sustainability – awareness is not action (Kollmuss and Agyeman, 2002). Action requires effort and change, whereas awareness is the recognition that action and change are needed. “Conscious of the complexity of our lives and our complicity with systems that we really don’t support, we have a chance to change our ideas and institutions, our habits and our habitat.” (Farrell, 272) Sustainability is state of mind --- and our current actions reflect our acknowledgement of this, or the lack there of. One of the major areas that prevent people from recycling is willingness to make the effort to recycle as well as the absence of apparent and immediate gratification in doing so. With this in mind, we restructured our approach to correspond with fraternities’ indifference towards recycling. Therefore our procedure became centered on incentivizing and simplifying the concept of recycling by exhibiting its ease and connection to the broader community. In the end, we hope that this exposure will enable and empower the UVa’s Greek Life to take responsibility for the practice.

 

WORKS CITED Ace Hardware Corporation. “32 Gal. Red Heavy Duty Trash Can - 8 Pack.” 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.

Amazon.com, Inc. “Futura Laser Gloss 17 x 11-Inch, 80 lb text, 96-Brightness, White Glossy Paper (500 Sheets per Ream).” 2014 Web. 8 Dec. 2014.

Amazon.com, Inc. “Krylon K02321000 Fusion For Plastic Aerosol Spray Paint, 12-Ounce, Gloss Black.” 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.

Amazon.com, Inc. “Krylon 7026 Preserve It Aerosol Spray, 11-Ounce, Gloss Finish.” 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.

Farrell, James. “Making Environmental History”. Global Sustainability First Edition. Cognella Inc. (2014): 271-280. Print.

Kollmuss, Anja, and Julian Agyeman. “Mind the Gap: Why do People Act Environmentally and What are the Barriers to Pro-environmental Behavior?”. Environmental Education Research 8.3. (2002): 239-260.

Lowes. “FrogTape 1.41-in x 180-ft Trim Painter's Tape.” 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014 North, Emily, and Rolf Halden. “Plastics and Environmental Health: The Road Ahead”. Reviews on Environmental

Health, 2014, 28(1): 1-8. doi: 10.1515/reveh-2012-0030. Office of the Dean of Students: Student Activities Center. “Advertising.” University of Virginia. 16 Oct. 2013. Web. 6

Dec. 2014. Office for Sustainability. “From the Grounds Up Sustainability Grant.” University of Virginia. 5 Nov. 2014. Web. 2 Dec.

2014.

“Polystyrene Recycling: The 4-Step Waste Hierarchy”. Polystyrene Packaging Council. Web. 3 Nov. 2014. Raghavan, Raj, and Mark Notaras. “Sad Demise of the Paper Coffee Cup”. Ourworld.unu.edu. United Nations

University. 3 Mar. 2009. Web. 3 Nov. 2014. Staples, Inc. “Staples® Sticker Paper.” 2014. Web. 8 December 2014

Student Activities Center Receptionist. Personal Phone Interview Regarding Printing Costs. 10 Dec. 2014. TerraCycle, Inc. “Solo Cup Brigade DIY Collection Bin Kit”. Trenton, NY. 2014. Web. 3 Nov. 2014. TerraCycle, Inc. “Solo Cup Brigade”. Trenton, NY. 2014. Web. 3 Nov. 2014. Thompson, Richard C., Charles J. Moore, Frederick S. vom Saal and Shanna H. Swan. “Plastics, the Environment,

and Human Health: Current Consensus and Future Trends”. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences. 364 (2009): 2153-2166. Web.

UVa Student Council. “GIFT.” 2014. University of Virginia. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

 

APPENDIX A: CORRESPONDENCE WITH POTENTIAL PARTNERS Correspondence with Sustainability at UVa

Initial Outreach to Sustainability at UVa

Robert G. Andrejewski Response

 

Reply to Robert G. Andrejewski

Correspondence with Lia Cattaneo of Student Council Sustainability

Lia Cattaneo Response

Reply to Lia Cattaneo

 

Lia Cattaneo Response 2

Correspondence with Emily Blanton of Student Council Sustainability

Correspondence with Laura Szczyrba

Initial Outreach

 

Laura Szczyrba Response

Reply to Laura Szczyrba

Laura Szczyrba Response 2

 

APPENDIX B: BUDGET PROPOSAL SPECIFICS Quantity Item Description Unit Price Total

8 32 Gal. Red Heavy Duty Trashcan, 8 pack1

ACE Hardware Trashcan, to be used as solo cup receptacle

$143.92 $1151.36

10 Staples Sticker Paper2 Staples Office Supplies, White sticker Paper, to be used as Solo Cup Logo on receptacles

$12.79 $127.9

16 Krylon 7026 Preserve It Aerosol Spray3

Amazon.com, 11 ounce, gloss finish, to be used as a water proof sealant for solo cup logo

$9.6 $153.6

16 Krylon 02321000 Fusion For Plastic Aerosol Spray Paint4

12 ounce, gloss white, to be used as white detailing lines on receptacle

$11.01 $176.16

1 Futura Laser White Glossy Paper5 11 x 17 inch, 500 Sheets per Ream, used as signage for receptacles

$42.2 $42.2

2 FrogTape Trim Painters Tape6 1.41 in x 180 ft., to be used when detailing receptacle

$7.88 $15.76

124 SAC CIO Color Printing & Copying 11 x 17 color prints & copies for receptacle signs, 2 signs per receptacle

$0.12 $14.88

~1300

Terracyle Shipping Labels 8 x 11 black & white copies for printing labels, approx: 20 biweekly pickups, 1 shipping label per receptacle

$0.02 $26

2 Scotch Heavy Duty Packaging Tape7

Scotch Packaging Tape 1.88in x 54.6 in, 6 rolls used for Shipping solo cups to Terracycle

$19.73 $39.46

Total $1,747.32 *The superscript numbers following an item corresponds with the numbered images below. Product Images 1.

 

 

2.  

3.

4.

 

5.

. 6.

7.

 

APPENDIX C: SAMPLE FRATERNITY EVALUATION

 

APPENDIX D: WEBSITE LINK AND WEBPAGE IMAGES www.dontgiveuponthesolocup.weebly.com