RECYCLING IN THE RES IDENCE HALLS
DATE:
11/27/2007
TO:
MR. TIM ALBERT
FROM:
MICHAEL SULLIVAN, ANNA LIA, JENNA PITT
RE:
RECYCLING IN THE RESIDENCE HALLS
As you probably know, the global community is involved in an environmental crisis.
Here at Seattle University, and particularly the residence halls, we have to do our own part to
help minimize our contribution to this growing problem. Currently, recycling is one of the
easiest and most important tools that can be utilized to preserve our precious resources and to
keep reusable goods from wasting away in our overloaded landfills.
The following report contains research that we have conducted to help Seattle
University readdress the recycling program in the residence halls. We conducted interviews
with custodial staff, surveys of students, and observations of the residence halls regarding the
current recycling program and discovered that there is much room for improvement.
Currently, only 60% of recyclable materials are being properly disposed of, while 40% of
recyclables are actually being thrown in the garbage. The aim of our proposal is to try and get
a 100% (or close to it) recycling rate.
Our results proved that most students attribute their current recycling practices to a
lack of knowledge regarding what can be recycled. Therefore, we propose to increase
students’ knowledge of recycling by having volunteers that are responsible for informing
residents of proper recycling habits. Also, we recommend distributing an easy to read
information packet regarding the do’s and don’ts of recycling. With these recommendations
we hope to inform residents as well as change recycling habits forever.
Problem Statement
Paper, plastic, metal, and glass are natural resources that can be reused and
recycled multiple times to make consumer products. Reusing and recycling these
materials uses less energy and water during the manufacturing process compared to using
virgin materials. Our nations’ landfills are full of recyclable materials because so many
people don’t understand their value. Focusing solely on Seattle University, particularly
the residence halls, we can see that our own recycling program is far from perfect and is
currently performing at a substandard level. Currently, 40% of recyclable materials in
residence halls are being thrown away instead of being recycled (Facilities Services). It is
clear that Seattle University is among those responsible for contributing to a major local
and global crisis.
More specifically, the problem that we are referring to is a worldwide lack of
adequate recycling programs and recycling education. While this problem is too large for
any one person in our nation to address, each individual person and institution can do
their part to detract from this problem. This is where Seattle University has a moral
obligation to the City of Seattle, its Jesuit Mission, and to the entire world to recycle and
make the lowest impact possible on our fragile ecosystem.
The Sustainability Project is intended to increase the recycling of paper, plastic,
metal, and glass products in the residence halls at Seattle University. Improving recycling
habits at Seattle University means contributing to the global environmental movement
because recycling is significantly beneficial in reducing the inputs of energy and raw
materials to a production system, and reducing the amount of waste produced for
disposal. For example, recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy cost of processing
new aluminum. Recycling plastic saves 70% of the energy used in creating new plastic,
and paper recycling saves 40% of the energy required to make a new product. The most
commonly used methods for waste disposal (landfill, incineration) are environmentally
damaging and unsustainable. Reusing or recycling materials means that less energy is
needed to transport the product or material from the place of extraction. Ultimately,
recycling reduces the impact of global warming because it decreases the use of fossil
fuels and reduces the carbon footprint.
Action Plan Implemented
The intended result of our project is to provide recommendations to Seattle
University regarding ways in which they can increase the percentage recycled in the
residence halls. To determine the amount recycled in the residence halls we focused on
Campion as our pilot building. Campion is the largest residence hall on campus, housing
up to 700 students each year, and as such is the residence hall with the largest waste and
recycling impact. In order to discover the amount of knowledge students have
concerning recycling practices, and to gain an idea of what sort of implementations
would increase their recycling, we conducted an interview in the Campion lobby.
Twenty students were interviewed, and each student responded to a set of eight questions
(see Appendix A). These questions were selected to identify the barriers and benefits
students perceive in recycling efficiently. From these interviews we hoped to gain a
better understanding of why only 60% of residence hall recyclable materials actually get
recycled, and to get us started thinking of ways to increase this percentage.
Another measurement tool we used was a type of anthropological observation.
Rather than interacting with the residence hall students, we observed them engaging (and
not engaging) in recycling practices in the Camion lobby during three hours of main
study time. Through this strategy we were able to physically see the amount of
recyclable goods which were thrown in waste bins rather than recycling bins by our target
group of students. During this time we were also able to interview one of the custodial
staff of Campion while he emptied the waste and recycle bins (a name was not given).
This interview, though extremely brief, gave us a good indication of student recycling
habits from the professional side of recycling and waste management.
An additional report we consulted to gain insight on recycling behavior was a
study conducted at Reed College in Portland, Oregon (Increase Paper Recycling). In this
particular study, after conducting a review determining student’s knowledge of recycling
practices, two behavior change tools were incorporated into a pilot program designed to
increase the amount of recycling in the dormitories. In this specific case, both
commitment and incentives were effective in encouraging recycling behavior. Another
main study we consulted was done by Brooke Nash, and concerns the concept of an
“outreach volunteer.”
Problems Encountered
One of the main problems we encountered was a lack of response from people
connected with Seattle University Facilities that we had hoped to interview. After
sending numerous e-mails and leaving one phone message for each person, we decided to
leave these particular people out of our interview scheme, and focus solely on the
students. Rather than procuring insight about student recycling habits from these
officials, we overcame the problem by viewing the students first-hand.
Another problem we encountered toward the beginning of the project was a lack
of time. Our original plan was to actually implement a pilot program into the residence
halls in hopes of increasing student recycling practices. However, upon further reflection
of time and resources, it was decided that this goal was a bit too lofty. To overcome this
problem it was decided that, instead of physically implementing a pilot program in the
residence halls, we would instead use our findings to provide recommendations for a
future recycling program.
Findings and Recommendations
We now would like to present our findings and recommendations to Mr. Tim
Albert, who acts as the Assistant Director of Housing and Residence Life. We feel that
Mr. Albert is a prime subject to convey these findings to, mainly because their focus is on
the residence halls at Seattle University.
After conducting the survey of students in the Campion lobby, it became clear
that one of the main reasons students choose not to recycle 100% of the time is lack of
knowledge. More specifically, students lack the knowledge of what is supposed to be
recycled, and whether it needs to be cleaned first (in the case of food containers). When
asked what their top two methods for receiving recycling information were, the winners
were a recycling guide to keep in their room, and clearer signs in the recycling/trash
closets.
The findings from the anthropological observation method also point to a lack of
recycling knowledge, and perhaps pure laziness, on the part of the students. After
observing their recycling practices for three hours, and keeping track of what was
recycled (paper, plastic, glass), and what was thrown away, it became clear that certain
students weren’t sure which items belonged in which bin (see Appendix B for a pie chart
outlining the total amount recycled and thrown away). This rang especially true in
conjunction with food containers. Many students eat in the Campion lobby during study
hours, and end up throwing away many things which could be recycled. In our interview
with the helpful custodian, it became especially apparent that the main things students
throw away which could be recycled are plastic water bottles and soda bottles. One of
the reasons for this is because often times the bottles aren’t completely empty, and
students don’t want to take the time to empty and rinse out the bottles.
Our chief recommendation to increase student knowledge of recycling practices,
and therefore increase recycling in the residence halls, is to employ the use of an
“outreach volunteer” (Nash). The strategy combines information with personal contact.
In terms of the residence halls, we recommend recruiting an outreach volunteer for each
floor. This person would, as a volunteer, be unpaid and have the benefit of being a
student themselves. This outreach volunteer would take on the responsibility of
delivering an outreach volunteer packet to each room on their floor (see Appendix C) and
explaining the importance of recycling to each floor resident. The costs of this program
would be the staff time needed to prepare the volunteer outreach packets, and the funds to
create the packets (estimated at about $150).
A second recommendation is to provide easy-to-read laminated sheets on all
recycling bins in the residence halls. These sheets would clearly outline what can and
cannot be recycled. The cost of this plan is estimated at approximately $200, including
the volunteer time needed. The benefits, however, would greatly exceed the costs, both in
terms of sustainability and general well-being.
Appendix A
1) When you have waste paper or an empty metal, glass or plastic container, what percentage of
the time do you recycle it? Choose one from the following list:
25%
50%
75%
100%
2) How often do you empty your trash? Choose from the following list:
Once a week
Several times a week
Several times a month
Once a month
3) The recycling and trash collection system in Campion consists of a recycling/trash closet on
each floor with containers for paper, glass/metal/plastic, and trash. Each student room has a trash
and recycling container. What improvements to this system would enable you to achieve a 100%
recycling rate?
4) What information do you need about what to recycle, how to recycle, and why recycling
matters to enable you to recycle 100% of the time?
5) What are your top 2 methods of receiving this information?
Recycling web page
Recycling guide I keep in my room
Signs in the recycling/trash closet
Paper recycling guide in the recycling/trash closet
One-on-one training from another student
Group training at a floor meeting
6) What improvements to the recycling system do you think would make it more effective?
7) What benefits do perceive when you recycle?
Makes me feel good
Recycling creates jobs for people
Reduces pressure on finite natural resources
Other (please explain)________
8) What barriers do you perceive prevent you from recycling waste paper, or an empty metal,
glass or plastic container 100% of the time?
Unsure what I can and cannot recycle
Not sure which recycling containers are which in the recycling/trash closets
I don’t care/ don’t see why recycling matters
Other (please explain)________
Appendix B
Mixed Paper
Plastic
Glass
Recyclable
Materials
Thrown Away
Appendix C
Outreach Volunteer Packet
Should contain the following:
a. Recycling information sheet/booklet for students
b. A persuasive written appeal to recycle
c. A map of recycling facilities on campus (main points)
Works Cited and Referenced
"Facilities Services." Seattle University. 2007. 12 Oct 2007
<http://seattleu.edu/facilities/page.aspx?id=94&x=7>.
"Increasing Paper Recycling." Fostering Sustainable Behavior. 2007. 16 Oct 2007
<http://www.cbsm.com/CasesDatabase/Detail.lasso?-KeyValue=105&KeyField=ID>.
Nash, Brooke. "The Outreach Volunteer Strategy." Fostering Sustainable Behavior. 2002.
14 Oct 2007 <http://www.cbsm.com/Reports/JAOutreach.pdf>.
"Recycling." Earth 911: The Nation's Premier Environmental Resource. 2007. 12 Oct
2007 <http://earth911.org/recycling/>.
“The Price of Virtue.” The Economist. 07 June 2007. 24 Nov 2007.
<http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9302727>