Recycling and Beyond: Towards a Zero Waste Campus

2:00 PM Introduction and welcome: Rob Gogan

2:02 PM Webinar details: Larry Kaufman

2:05 PM Pete Pasterz, Cabarrus County, NC

2:20 PM Laurie Cousart, University of Pennsylvania

2:45 PM Rob Gogan, Harvard University

3:00 PM Jack Debell, University of Colorado at Boulder

3:15 PM Questions and Adjournment

http://www.curc3r.org/

Measuring Progress Towards Zero Waste

Rob Gogan

Recycling and Waste Services

Harvard Facilities Maintenance Operations

175 North Harvard Street

Allston, MA 02134

rob_gogan@harvard.edu

http://www.uos.harvard.edu/fmo/recycling/

College & University Recycling Coalition

Webinar Series

2 September 2010

“What gets measured, gets managed:” choosing measures

• Recycling rates

• Pounds trash per capita

• Progress towards zero waste goal

• Annual pounds of single-use commodities procured

• Capture rates

• Benefits of recycling: WARM, resources saved

Wasting is not sustainable…

‘THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG:” One day’s trash from Harvard

Yard… and that’s only 1% of the total generated on our behalf.

Visible waste…

…is examined by Resource Efficiency Program

undergrads.

Results of 10th annual Waste Audit

21% paper that could have been recycled

12% containers + 12% beverage residue that could have been recycled

Compostables: yard waste, paper towels, coffee grounds, food

41% organics that could have been composted

Residues (items without current recycling options)

10% residues for which sustainable substitutes are needed

By weight:

Campus Refuse Profile, FY10

% of total

Recycling (basics) 3,420 Tons 23%

Compost 3,690 Tons 25%

Recycling (other) 1,101 Tons 7%

Trash 6,768 Tons 45%

Campus Population 37,194 FTE

Per capita recycling 442 lbs

Per capita Trash 365 lbs

Recycling Rate: 55%

President Drew Faust stands with Eco-REPs at Move-in

2010 Gorilla Prize (Pounds recycled)

1 Rutgers University 2,541,0932 Harvard University 996,760 3 Stanford University 888,8844 University of NC, CH

729,9405 U Michigan-Ann Arbor 721,510 6 Boston College 716,153 7 U MN– Twin Cities 680,280 8 Emory University 646,2739 U Cal– San Diego

643,18510 U Florida

641,296 15 Yale University 588,774

EPA “WasteWise”-sponsored 10-week contest with 608 campuses participating in 2010. See <www.recyclemaniacs.org>

Zero Waste Events

Few tons diverted, but high-visibility and fun to see how close to zero you can get. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Annual Picnic, 2010. Total waste landfilled: 36 gloves, bundle of sandwich wrap, 6 carried in foam cups & one diaper.

With good planning, infrastructure and peer marketing…

…an old man can learn to measure his progress towards Zero Waste.