Blueprint for a Green Campus (2000 Edition) 

Table of Contents | Introduction | Goals | Institutional Issues | Climate-Friendly Campus | Growing Without Increasing Traffic | Safe/Healthy Campus | Consumption and Disposal Habits  

Greening Campus Consumption and Disposal Habits

Part I: Purchasing Environmentally-Responsible Products

The Vision

CU adopts an environmentally-preferable purchasing policy which will institute standards for environmentally responsible purchasing.

The Need

The nation’s universities spend over $185 billion annually. Responsible purchasing decisions by universities can profoundly influence markets for goods and services. One of the main impacts CU has on the natural world is through the millions of dollars that the institution spends each year on purchasing products. By carefully choosing what we buy, we can use this purchasing power to encourage the development of environmentally responsible industry, rather than inadvertently paying for harmful practices.

Numerous examples of environmentally-responsible purchasing exist around the country. An EPA survey of 90 colleges and universities in 1992, found 44 percent had active procurement programs for recycled products. California's system of higher education for instance, purchases over $5.9 million in recycled products annually.

When CU was required to comply with state legislation mandating recycled paper use, we boosted purchasing to the highest levels in the state. Over 60 percent of CU's total annual paper purchases contained recycled fiber. In 1997 however, HB 1140 expired and state agencies like CU were no longer required to buy recycled or report their annual purchases. As a result, there has been a decline in the recycled paper purchased by CU.

This trend is compounded by recent changes in CU’s purchasing procedures. Initiatives like the Acquisition Card and the Administrative Streamlining Project further decentralize purchasing. This shift has made it more difficult to institute campus-wide procurement policies for environmentally responsible products and services.

Current Position and Accomplishments

Despite the lack of structured state or campus policy, CU has made noteworthy accomplishments.

• Printing and Copying Services stocks recycled paper in all copy centers and advocates for recycled content stationery for CU. They also have played an important role in collecting used toner cartridges for recycling.
• The CU Bookstore offers a variety of recycled products.
• The Distribution Center and Facilities Management Stores sell recycled paper and paper products to campus departments.
• The Transportation Center reports using re-tread tires for campus vehicles.
• The Housing department has purchased recycled plastic playground equipment for its day care facilities.
• UCSU and Housing have prohibited the posting of deep-dyed, "astrobright" papers. This policy has greatly increased the recyclability of paper at CU.
• In vendor contracts like those for soft drinks, waste reduction and recycling provisions have been included. This proactive approach will benefit CU’s environmental efforts by requiring financial and operational assistance from companies doing business with CU.

Action Steps Needed to Achieve the Goal

CU should adopt an environmentally preferable purchasing policy, which will institute standards for environmentally responsible purchasing. These standards should recommend, and in certain instances require, adherence to environmental specifications in vendor contracts, campus stores and departmental purchases. Adopting an environmental purchasing policy would reduce solid waste and pollution, cut energy consumption, and create markets for environmental goods.

These standards should specify products which are of comparable price, quality, and availability and have one or more of the following attributes:

• high post consumer content
• low embodied energy
• recyclable within CU’s existing operation
• non-toxic
• energy efficient
• durable and/or repairable
• produced in an environmentally-sustainable manner

Standards should also apply to services which are contracted out, such as:

• soft drink vending
• campus mailing list purchases
• concessions
• automotive waste disposal
• food service supplies
• construction and remodeling

A new purchasing guide is needed for campus. The Recycled Products Guide, created in 1995 has become obsolete by the Acquisition Card, Administrative Streamlining Project, and personnel changes in Buying and Contracting. A new guide will require research about price, quality, and availability of recycled products. It should also detail how CU’s new purchasing procedures can be used to buy more environmentally responsible products and services. This guide could be the cornerstone of a new campus policy and serve as a principle means of educating the campus community, provided there is administrative commitment to the project.

To make the campus-wide effort to purchase environmentally responsible products, we need to:

• Research commonly purchased products and services.
• Research which vendor contracts could be revised to include environmentally-responsible specifications.
• Research price, quality and availability of environmentally-preferable alternatives.
• Create a policy directive from CU-Boulder Administration which recommends and/or requires certain products, services, and campus practices to become "greener."
• Publish a purchasing guide which includes products, services, and campus procedures.
• Educate the campus community by e-mail and distribution of guide to departments.
• Inform campus suppliers of environmental improvements needed through a request for information (RFI) document.
• Adopt reporting requirements which allow the campus to track progress and identify areas for improvement.

References

Keniry, J. Ecodemia, National Wildlife Federation, 1995.

Eagan, D. and J. Keniry, Green Investment, Green Return, National Wildlife Federation, 1998.

Part II: Capping Solid Waste Going to the Landfill at Today's Levels

The Vision

As CU grows, we will cap the amount of solid waste going to the landfill at today's volumes by increasing recycling and composting efforts and by using market incentives, new technologies, and purchasing policies to reduce waste generation on campus.

To attain this goal, CU needs to commit to fully developing:

• A convenient, cost-effective recycling and composting operation which diverts at least sixty percent of the campus waste stream;
• Waste minimization efforts which contain rising solid waste generation on campus; and,
• Education and outreach programs which instill sound consumption and recycling behaviors at the individual and institutional level.

Overview of Ongoing Projects and Accomplishments

Established in 1976, CU Recycling has become one of the leading campus recycling programs in the country. Its mission is to divert recyclables from the waste stream cost-effectively while promoting the benefits of recycling and resource conservation and providing opportunities for meaningful student involvement. In 1991, a partnership for recycling operations was formed between UCSU and Administration. UCSU (student government) is responsible for conducting procedural training and promotions, processing of recyclables, and overseeing contracts for marketing recyclables. Facilities Management, an administrative department, is responsible for collection of deskside containers, collection of central containers, and identifying and upgrading collection sites. The partnership is directed by the Chancellor's Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB) which is comprised of students, faculty, staff, and administrators. SWAB also guides CU's waste reduction, procurement, and research efforts.

Existing Recycling and Composting Operations

• Six grades of paper as well as one co-mingled container grade totalling over 1,150 tons each year.
• Materials are collected from 9,500 deskside and 550 central locations.
• Facilities Management composts over 200 cubic yards of grounds waste.
• Facilities Management recovers an estimated 90 percent of scrap metal for recycling.
• Over 20 cubic yards of reusable clothing, books, and appliances are collected from the residence halls and donated to local civic groups for resale.
• Planning and designing for recycling in new construction and renovation projects
• Recycling of special materials (toner cartridges, transparencies, diskettes and tyvek envelopes).

Current Waste Minimization Efforts

• Some progress on revising vendor contracts for soft drinks, concessions, and food service supplies.
• Discussion of establishing more stringent conditions for commercial solicitation on campus and sale of campus mailing lists.
• Many departments and individuals undertaken waste reduction efforts. Some examples include the Chemistry Department which re-uses one-sided paper reclaimed from the recycling facility for test-taking notes and Printing Services which has invested in a docu-tech machine to produce documents on-demand and reduce the volume of overruns.

Current On-Campus Outreach Programs

• Incoming student and staff orientations and printed information
• In-office waste reduction and recycling workshops and residence hall seminar programs
• Special event recycling for athletic events, fairs and concerts
• Signage, ads and displays

Current Trends

CU already has the elements of a successful recycling program in place: strong student support, sound marketing ability, efficient collections and processing operations, and a receptive administration. From this base, CU has created a largely effective waste management and recycling program.

CU's recycling program has made incremental progress since the Student-Administration partnership was formed in 1990. Facilities Management and UCSU’s funding commitments have remained strong since the Student-Administration Partnership became operational in 1993. This trend must continue for recycling to remain successful at CU. As importantly however, other departments associated with academics, residence life, food services, and purchasing need to increase their involvement in such areas as policy creation, contract revision, coursework, capital investment, and discretionary funding.

In the 1998-99 academic year, CU-Boulder recycled 1,116 tons of materials and sent 2,750 tons of solid waste to the landfill. (However, significant sources of solid waste are not included in this estimate. See "Measurement and Tracking" discussion for details.) Based on these numbers, the campus community currently diverts approximately 29 percent of its waste through recycling, yet we have the ability to recover 55 to 60 percent of waste for recycling campus-wide. To achieve a cap on the amount of unrecovered campus waste at 1998-99 levels, measures to reduce waste and increase recycling would be most effective if directed at the campus zones with the lowest recovery rates. In 1998-99, the Department of Housing recycled 12 percent of its total waste; whereas, academic and administrative buildings recycled 52 percent of their total waste.

Moreover, waste generation and recycling rates are expected to increase as a result of additional enrollment and new campus buildings. Campus efforts need to focus not only increasing recycling, but also on minimizing the amount of waste produced in the first place.

The program is unable to keep up with student interest. Results of a recent survey show strong support for expanded recycling services. Students also want to see more research and service learning opportunities created for them.

While there may ultimately be a reduction of paper use due to new technology, there is little evidence that this has happened to date. Unfortunately, there is at least anecdotal evidence that suggests that the conversion to ASP may have substantially increased the use of paper for administrative purposes. In addition, the availability of free printing on campus encourages students to print even large documents off the web. Also, many departments produce more documents than are necessary. Although these over-runs are usually recycled, departments need to make efforts to more accurately determine required quantities prior to production as over 13 tons of over-runs were processed for recycling last year alone.

Tipping fees for landfill disposal are projected to increase statewide as private companies raise rates to remain profitable. This trend will favorably affect recycling's appeal. Although, in the near-term, it is doubtful tipping fees for CU will reach the U.S. average of $60 per ton--a rate which has fueled recycling nationwide. Currently, CU enjoys a low $20 per ton rate from Western Disposal.

As a result of these recent trends, CU's status as one of the nation's leading campus recycling program is in jeopardy. An estimated 2,700 campus recycling programs are currently in operation around the country. A growing number of schools are investing in recycling's potential and, as a result, are developing innovative programs and posting high recycling rates. For many students and campus leaders, CU's status as the leader in campus recycling is an important distinction. Maintaining it will involve greater commitment to recycling and waste reduction than is currently provided.

Master Plan Language

The Campus Master Plan maintains that waste reduction and recycling efforts are a priority for CU-Boulder.

Reduce the waste for which the campus must pay removal costs. (Section IV.D.8)

Guidelines

• Decrease waste generation.
• Increase convenience of diverting recyclables.
• Integrate recycling when new facilities and major renovations occur.
• Recycle and minimize waste in construction projects.
• Continue to replace trash-only containers (indoors and outdoors) with solid waste stations for both trash and recyclables.

Action Steps Needed to Achieve Goals

Beginning in 1998, CU Recycling gathered input as to what we need to do to reach our full recycling and waste management potential. CU Recycling conducted surveys of students and off-campus agencies. The Solid Waste Advisory Board held planning retreats. The recycling director also researched emerging trends and technologies in the recycling industry. Based upon this information, the student-administrative partnership for recycling has developed a vision for the next generation of recycling improvements at CU Boulder.

Expanded Recycling and Composting Operations

Sixty percent diversion is an attainable goal. To reach it, a number of improvements must be made to the existing recycling program.

The following measures are planned for implementation during Fiscal Year 2000-2001:

• Placement of solid waste management stations (combined trash & recycling containers)
• Automated cardboard collection program, specifically in Housing
• Additional classroom recycling containers
• Improved outreach materials on proper recycling (i.e., displays, guides)

Additional recycling improvements are necessary in the next few years. These should include:

• Recycling bins for Family Housing apartment
• Central outdoor recycling stations on main campus
• Textbook recycling
• Vermi-composting of food waste generated by Housing Dining Services and the UMC
• Computer and electronics recovery
• Placement of an automated cardboard compactor at the UMC
• Expanded grounds waste composting to include Housing
• Additional magazine and catalog recycling locations

The expanded recycling efforts will inevitably require increased capacity at the campus recycling facility. Plans are currently underway to relocate the IPF (Intermediate Processing Facility).

The relocation of the IPF needs to account for these expansions.

Future Waste Minimization Efforts

CU’s waste generation is expected to increase as a result of rising enrollment and additional buildings. Several initiatives can be used to decrease the amount of waste generated at CU. These include:

• Revising vendor contracts for soft drinks, concessions, and food service supplies
• Establishing more stringent conditions for commercial solicitation on campus and sale of campus mailing lists
• Promoting waste reduction technologies and financial incentives for communication and printing
• Instituting a waste abatement mini-grant program which would provide financial assistance for innovations and development of waste reduction products and processes
• Establishing a program to collect and redistribute reusable office supplies among CU offices and student groups
• Adopting campus building standards to recover and minimize waste generated by campus construction and renovation projects.

Improved Outreach

Although there is strong support for the campus recycling program, participation needs to be extended beyond the collection program. Getting the campus community more actively involved in waste reduction and environmentally-responsible purchasing will require the following outreach activities:

• Improved signage and displays
• Updated and expanded recycling guide
• Increased media presence
• Improved/expanded incoming student and new employee orientations
• Updated "Green Purchasing" guide (see previous section)

Measurement and Tracking

To measure progress toward the goal of capping waste at 1998-99 levels, we need to:

• Define what constitutes the campus' solid waste stream. In 1998-99, 2750 tons of waste generated were landfilled. This amount includes waste from all academic and administrative buildings and residence halls. However, it does not include waste volumes from significant campus generators, such as the University Memorial Center (estimated at 240 tons in 1998-99), grounds (estimated at 187 tons in 1998-99), residence halls move-out, Distribution Center, and construction projects. Additionally, the 1116 tons of recovered waste in 1998-99 do not include grounds waste composting or scrap metal recycling.
• More accurately determine and track waste and recycling volumes based on the above definition.

References

University of Colorado Solid Waste Advisory Board, Planning Retreat Minutes, November 1999.

University of Colorado Facilities Management, Solid Waste and Recycling Records.

University of Colorado Recycling Services, CU Recycling At-a-Glance 1998-99.