Recycling at the University of Illinois
by Tim Hoss, Facilities and Services
General Waste Management Recycling
The University of Illinois has operated a formal and comprehensive recycling program since 1989. For the past ten years, the focal point of waste management recycling activities has been the Waste Transfer Station (WTS). Recyclable materials are sorted from general waste at our waste transfer facility by a team of great people employed through the Developmental Services Center (DSC). That longstanding relationship has provided steady employment for the DSC folks. At the same time, the diligent efforts of the people on the sorting line have been indispensible in achieving such a high landfill diversion rate. The WTS generated approximately $500,000 in revenue in FY08 while avoiding approximately $200,000 in landfill costs. When including amount of Construction & Demolition (C&D) material diverted/recycled, landfill cost savings are closer to $300,000.
During FY08, the WTS recycled:
. 838 tons of cardboard
. 1,236 tons of paper
. 21 tons of plastic
. 41 tons of aluminum
. 625 tons of scrap metal (includes construction waste)
. 1300 tons of landscape waste
. 325 tons of pallets (includes construction waste)
. 2500 to 3000 lbs of insulated wire recycled each month (includes construction waste)
Last year, we diverted 48.8% of our waste stream from the landfill through our recycling efforts.
But Where Does It All Come From?
. F & S routinely recycles tons of metal from Abbott Power plant
. WTS operates two trucks running daily paper collection routes and one truck running a cardboard route twice daily
. Manually sorting waste materials is the "safety net" for materials that do not make it into the campus-wide bins and through our collection routes
. The vast majority of the recycling (by weight) is from active collection of recyclables, mostly paper and cardboard
. Thousands of recycling bins around campus improve the collection rate
. Approximately 250 recycling dumpsters on campus, generally located near waste disposal dumpsters
. One dedicated drop-off site for paper and cardboard in the northwest corner of parking lot E14 (corner of Oak St and Kirby Ave)
. And lastly, all this is possible through community outreach and cooperation
Other Recycling/Sustainability Programs at the University and F&S
Fluorescent Bulbs and Ballasts
. Since 2000, the Labor Electricians Shop has had a used fluorescent light bulb recycling program in place. The program properly recycles 99.9% of all university light bulbs.
Used Ballast disposal
. Copper wiring removed and recycled locally
Call2Recycle battery recycling program participation
. F&S participates in the Call2Recycle Nickel Cadmium and Lithium rechargeable battery program to recycle dead batteries from power tools and cell phones (http://www.rbrc.org/)
Integration of sustainable products into Mill Shop stock, including:
. Lyptus® wood, a sustainable product, for renovation and general mill shop work.
. Medex® fiberboard: made of 100% recovered and recycled wood fiber and containing no formaldehyde (used in cabinets at the Veterinary Medicine Small Animal Clinic and Large Animal Clinic, and the Lincoln Avenue Residence Hall, for example).
. Extira®: made of recycled wood by-product, this moisture-resistant material contains no formaldehyde. This product was used on shutters at 1108 Stoughton, the building which houses the Center for Democracy in a Multiracial Society.
. Trex®: made of recycled plastic grocery bags, reclaimed pallet wrap, and waste wood. This material was used to build benches at Pennsylvania Avenue Residence Hall.
Using recycled paper for Printing Department jobs
. All course packets now use 100% post-consumer recycled paper
. From July - December 2007, 43% of Facilities & Services Printing Department paper purchases were classified as recycled
Click here to view the Univeristy of Illinois' complete Waste Reduction Plan.
