Report shows University increases recycling
As convenience increases, so does the number of tons of garbage recycled. KU recycled 542.4 tons in 2008, compared with 517 tons last year.
By Sachiko Miyakawa (Contact)
Friday, August 22nd, 2008
The University of Kansas increased the amount of garbage it recycled last year by 5 percent.
The University recycled 542.4 tons of garbage, including paper, aluminum and cardboard, in the 2008 fiscal year. That was an increase from the previous year, when 517 tons of garbage were recycled, according to the KU Recycling tonnage report.
Celeste Hoins, administrative manager of the Environmental Stewardship Program, said the program’s new services increased the convenience of recycling on campus. The recycling project, funded by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, promotes paper recycling in the offices of several campus buildings, including Strong, Haworth and Summerfield halls. The program also added more cardboard recycling locations.
The amount of cardboard recycled last year increased more than 10 percent from the previous year, according to the tonnage report.
KU Recycling is funded by student fees, Facilities Operations, and revenues from the sale of recyclable materials.
Hoins said the service helped the University achieve its sustainability goals.
“We employ students, and KU student government has proved that they want campus recycling by supporting recycling through student referendums and fees,” Hoins said.
Hoins said the stewardship program wanted to add new recycling locations.
The Environmental Stewardship Program also works with student groups to raise awareness about the importance of recycling.
KU Environs, one of those student groups, collaborated with the stewardship program to start electronic waste recycling at the University in the fall.
Ryan Callihan, Lenexa senior and vice president of KU Environs, said the University provided a good recycling system and many students learned the benefits of recycling, but that some people could put more effort in recycling.
He said that people could recycle in their homes and could drop off their recyclables while running errands.
Jeff Severin, director of the KU Center for Sustainability, said the center updated checklists on its Web site to promote sustainability at work and at home, including tips for recycling and waste reduction.
“We encourage waste reduction, which is, I think, just as important as recycling,” Severin said.
For example, he said, reducing the margin of Word documents and printing on both sides of paper would contribute significantly to reducing paper waste.
— Edited by Rachel Burchfield
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