Question by GreenStudent: I am interested in promoting/increasing recycling at my campus I was just wondering what steps I should take?
I go to a community college (if that helps)
I want to have a variety of recycling waste bins on campus not just paper
Do I need to contact Waste Management?
I would like a response from someone who has experience with environmentally friendly programs and organizations.
Best answer:
Answer by Peter J
Start doing it. Lead by example.
You libs always want other people to do what you say, instead of doing it yourself.
Add your own answer in the comments!
call the recycling place and see what they do or call your mayor and talk to him
You would actually have to sign a contract with a waste management company and pay a monthly fee for the service of collecting and processing the recyclables.
Modern recycling services are single stream services so there’s no need to pre-sort the recyclables as it’s more cost effective to save the money on the collection operation and have their own people and machines do the sorting. Bottles and jars would have to have their caps and lids removed, the caps and lids are recyclable but a capped bottle will resist crushing till the plastic bursts causing the pressing drums to suddenly crash together damaging the sorting machines. Plastic bags and other flexible films cannot be recycled in single stream recycling because they wrap around the rollers and the whole line has to be stopped while the bags are unraveled from the equipment.
Once sorted, they will sell the ones for which there is a market to help offset their costs but should the market be oversupplied as is often the case with the popularity of recycling, the recyclables are either stored till market prices recover or the service would pay a landfill to dispose of the recyclables. Recycling does make for nice neat sorted piles in the landfill.
The days of recycling operations being able to support themselves based on the sale of the recyclables are gone. Some recyclable markets are so flooded that recyclers won’t accept the recyclables. Recycling operations are now based on a subscription model and make their money off the collection fees. The waste management companies love it because essentially they charge twice for the same garbage.
We need to find more ways to use recyclable materials not necessarily collect more.
Since you are at a community college it is most likely that students live nearby. I would recommend you start promoting recycling on campus by founding a club or group to attract other people that have the same interest as you. With a group of people that have a like purpose, you can then use all of you resources to gain support from school administration for placing recycling bins, etc… around campus. Remember that these bins need to be emptied and physically taken to a recycling center…your group, or some department at the school, will have to be responsible for this. I would suggest that your group control the recycling program so that you will all stay in touch and build good relationships for the future. Start now and you might actually make a few bucks in the process while building your resume and having a positive impact on the environment in the process. Don’t know how to start a club? Maybe start a myspace page or a meetup group and make a lot of flyers to post on boards around campus. It will be some work but the world is worth it right?!