MPS Waste Audit Report
by
Andre Xiong
For a copy of this report or to access more information about waste management / recycling at MPS,
visit: http://mpsgoesgreen.mpls.k12.mn.us
School name and grade:
Today’s date:
Audit date:
Audit participants:
Anne Sullivan Communication Center k-8
7-1-2010
5-5-2010
Andre Xiong, Hennepin County Environmental Services
Scott Tilseth, Head Building Engineer
Diane Daun, MPS Plant Operations
Doug Link, Allied Waste Services
ANALYSIS OF WASTE GENERATION AT YOUR SITE
Waste generated at your site in May, 2010:
 In May, your school produced 17,760 lb of waste.1
 Trash:
16,100 lb (91 %)
 Mixed recycling:
1,660 lb ( 9 %)
 Based on your school population of 718 (604 students, 114 staff), each
person in your school produced 24.7 pounds of waste during this
month.2
 It took 20 large dumpsters to haul your 16,100 lb of trash.3
 The waste you recycled in May will result in 1,660 less pounds of
material going to the incinerator as well as the production of new
materials from it. Making new products from recycled material is less
expensive and more environmentally friendly than making them from
raw materials.
MPS is now collecting
information about waste
and recycling rates by
school. The analysis
below is based on data
for the month which this
audit took place at your
site. To access weights
from other months,
please visit:
www.mpsgoesgreen.com and
click on ‘Green Reports’.
District cost of trash and recycling disposal for your site in May, 2010 6:
Monthly haul charge $1.90/yd
Processing fee rate
$/ton
Processing fee based on weight
MN State tax
17%
Hennepin Co. tax
14.5%
Trash, actual
$304
$43
$346
$58.85
$50.19
Total Cost
$759
Mixed Recycling
$46
$0
$0
exempt
exempt
$46
Trash,
had you not recycled
$304
$43
$382
$64.91
$55.37
$806
In May, your school diverted 1,660 lb of waste towards recycling; saving the district $47 in disposal fees that
would have incurred from adding that 1,660 lb to the trash instead. These savings allow the district to enhance
its resource management strategy and offer programs like organics recycling and improved mixed recycling.
Increasing your recycling rates would yield even higher savings throughout the school year.
ON-SITE AUDIT RESULTS & DISCUSSION
Included below are findings and recommendations based on the audit of your building’s
waste management practices.7
Organics Recycling:
You were not recycling organics in addition to mixed recycling.
Approximately 35% of a school building’s' waste is compostable. Recycling compostable waste saves the
district money from reduced hauling fees and taxes, helps the environment, and provides students an
educational, hands-on way to learn about environmental stewardship. If your school is interested in starting
an organics recycling program, there is an opportunity for additional schools to add an organics program in
fall, 2010. Start-up costs will be covered by a grant. For information about how to launch an organics
recycling program at your school, please visit: http://mpsgoesgreen.mpls.k12.mn.us/Organics_Recycling.html
Recycling and waste reduction practices:
You were not stacking trays prior to disposal.
Note: Trays, despite how little they weigh, take up massive volume and fill up bags quickly, requiring them
to be changed out frequently. Stacking trays to be disposed of separately will allow much more room in the
container for other waste items. This practice saves the district money from less bag usage, reduces plastic
in the environment, and allows more space in dumpster(s).
You were not collecting liquid waste in a separate container.
A great way to minimize the weight of your waste is to divert liquid waste down the drain. Weight is one key
basis that MPS’ hauler uses to charge the district for trash and recycling. In addition, because MPS sends its
trash to the incinerator, dry waste results in a more efficient burn which is better for the environment.
Have students dump milk and other liquids into designated buckets to reduce weight of bags as well as leaking.
Contact your Plant Operations supervisor for buckets if you don’t have any on hand.
You were not using MPS Goes Green signage.
We encourage you to use the signs to help standardize the district-wide MPS Goes Green message so students
and staff are exposed to the same message and practice in all MPS buildings. Remember that there are
informational signs in English, Spanish, Hmong and Somali available on the MPS website. Also, there are fun
‘What to Collect’ signs on the website that are appropriate for a K-8 audience.
You [ were/were not ] using custom-made educational materials as well.
*not sufficient data*
Note: Members of your building community know what will work in your building. Encourage staff and
students to create their own promotional materials in addition to those provided by MPS. This involvement
promotes ownership and responsibility amongst students and staff which leads to a successful recycling
program. Be creative. On your signs, use examples of real items that students commonly run into at their
school or create a video or skits for a school assembly.
None of the surveyed classrooms displayed posters and labels to aid in sorting.
Posters and labels help students and staff comply with the recycling program. Labeling containers and
displaying recycling information reduces contamination in the recycling containers. Minimal effort is required
to post up educational materials yet has major positive effects. Please check the MPS website for a variety of
informational signs you can use in classrooms. Another step you can take is to incorporate environmental
sustainability information into coursework. The MPS Goes Green website provides curriculum materials you
may find useful.
You often used color coding to promote sorting.
Congratulations on using the MPS-designated colors (blue = mixed recycling, green = organics recycling,
red/gray = trash) to promoting recycling and proper sorting. Note: Make sure to follow the designated color
scheme—many of your containers’ color did not correspond with their designated use—and cover up any
recycling labels on containers that do not correspond with its designated use. (i.e. recycling sign on a red
barrel). Contact your Plant Operations Supervisor for stickers that can be used for this purpose.
Interior containers:
All classrooms sampled had recycling containers.
MPS will make every effort to provide every (class) room with recycling containers, please contact Plant
Operations Supervisor for extra containers. Paper makes up a tremendous portion of classroom waste, yet an
astounding amount of recyclable paper is still making its way into trash bins. The labor required to throw paper
into the trash or recycling bin are equal. Give students the opportunity to recycle in the classroom by providing
recycling bins in all classrooms. Promote proper use of recycling bins through signage and classroom activities.
See the MPS Goes Green website for ideas, http://mpsgoesgreen.mpls.k12.mn.us/
You often provided both trash and recycling containers at the same location (in classrooms).
Due to the large amount of recyclable material generated at a typical school building, placing recycling
containers wherever there are trash containers is an easy way to ensure that the right items go in the right
bins. Even if there is a recycling container in the same room or close by, individuals are likely to toss their
recyclables in the trash if the recycling container is not next to the trash. Making recycling convenient is
important to increasing recycling rates. The waste hauler’s single stream, no-sort recycling makes it even easier
and requires only one container for all recycling.
You were bagging mixed recycling containers
A great way to further reduce your school’s environmental impact and save the district money is to not use
plastic bags to contain your recyclables. The bags become a problem at the materials recovery facility (MRF)
where the recyclables are sorted and processed. At the MRF, in order to keep the plastic bags from getting
wrapped around the sorting equipment, they must be separated and disposed. The plastic bags do not get
recycled. Furthermore, MPS’ waste hauler prefers recyclables un-bagged because recyclables can easily be
contained and transported through the use bins, dumpsters, and trucks. The bag is not necessary and just
means that the hauler has to tear open and dispose the bags later on to get to your recyclables.
Contamination assessment:
Number of sampled bags of trash: 2
Sample 1 had minimal contamination (cardboard.)
Sample 2 had excessive contamination (paper and cans.)
Contaminants in your trash are any items that can be recycled or composted. Common items such as paper,
glass/plastic bottles, and cans require much more energy to produce from raw materials than from their
recycled counterparts. These items also add weight to trash, thereby, increasing disposal fees for the district. A
collaborative effort from your school community is needed to prevent recyclables from becoming trash.
Number of sampled bags of recycling: 1
Both samples had minimal contamination (non-recyclable paper, such as paper towels.)
Your recycling stream was essentially free of trash! Make sure students and staff understand that mixed paper
does not include such things as paper towels and tissues. When you have excessive contamination in your
recycling it could mean that the hauler will reject your entire load to the trash. It is very important that your
school community continues to keep the recycling stream as good of quality as possible. If you would like
clarification on whether or not certain items are recyclable, please contact me.
Exterior dumpsters:
All dumpsters were labeled.
Congratulations for labeling the different dumpsters to distinguish what waste type goes in them, ensuring
that trash and recyclables are disposed of properly.
Waste were correctly disposed of in their corresponding dumpster.
Congratulations on completing the process by correctly placing waste in their proper dumpsters.
Your dumpsters were effectively arranged to encourage recycling.
Your school has made it convenient to dispose of recyclables by placing the recycling dumpsters closer or at
least next to the trash dumpsters, thereby reducing chances of it being disposed of in the trash dumpster. If
your school is participating in organics, it is especially important to put that dumpster close due to the heavy
weight of those bags.
Your trash dumpster [ 8 yd3, picked up 5x weekly ] is typically full at pick-up.
As recycling improves at your school, make note of reduced trash production and request a smaller dumpster
as necessary. Many MPS schools experience significant trash reduction through organics recycling. Please
consider it for your site and contact your Plant Operations supervisor on how to get started.
Your mixed recycling dumpster [ 6 yd3, picked up 1x weekly ] is typically full at pick-up.
Congratulations for filling your mixed recycling dumpster to near its capacity. Dumpster disposal fees are
charged based on size and service frequency, so an underutilized dumpster costs the district extra money.
Increasing capacity or service frequency is perfectly fine if your school’s recycling efforts have improved that
much.
Summary of Recommendations
-Incorporating organics recycling will significantly reduce trash by diverting food waste (including the countless
milk cartons, now-compostable trays, and paper towels) into its own dumpster to be converted into compost
rather than buried or incinerated as trash.
-Require students to stack trays to dispose of separately from main trash containers.
-Provide a bucket in cafeteria to divert liquid waste from trash—dispose of in sink instead.
-Educate school community on which types of paper and plastics are accepted for recycling and which are not.
-Establish a school-wide set-up that best promotes recycling in classrooms:
-Post up signs/posters by containers to differentiate recycling from trash.
-Position trash and recycling containers together to promote sorting.
-Place containers in prominent locations, such as by doors or teachers’ desks, rather than scattered
around.
-Limit the amount of containers in class rooms—one recycling and one trash should suffice.
If your school needs to modify its hauling schedule / dumpster size or access additional materials to make your
waste management/recycling program successful, please contact your Plant Operations Supervisor. For
questions regarding the audit and audit report, please contact Andre Xiong.
Andre Xiong
MN GreenCorps School Waste Prevention Specialist
Hennepin County Dept. of Environmental Services
417 N. 5th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401
phone: 612-543-1316
email: andre.x.xiong@co.hennepin.mn.us
Appendix / Sources
1 Monthly waste generation data was provided by MPS contract hauler, Allied Waste Services. Data on
dumpster sizes and hauling schedules were also obtained from Allied.
2 Student enrollment numbers were obtained through MPS student account, available to the public online.
Staff enrollment numbers were obtained through payroll.
3 Allied Waste estimates one cubic yard of trash weighs approximately 100 lbs.
4 Ginny Black, from MN Pollution Control Agency, estimates approximately 50% of organic waste remains as
finished compost after decomposition.
5 It was decided upon to use 32% as the figure for organic waste composition of total waste generated at
schools. The study was conducted in southern California by California Integrated Waste Management Board
for 2002.
6 Calculations:
Monthly haul charge = [ $1.90 X dumpster size (yd 3) X frequency of pickup in a week ] X 4 weeks (month)
Processing fee = processing rate X weight (tons)
Total cost = monthly haul charge + processing fee + tax
Savings incurred from recycling = total cost (gross weight) ▬ total cost (trash weight)
7 Audit procedures:
o Audits were scheduled for 1 hour and included:
1. Interview with head building engineer 2. Interior walkthrough
3. Contamination assessment
4. Exterior walkthrough
o Audits were conducted by Hennepin County Environmental Services’ GreenCorps member; alongside an
Allied Waste representative and the Plant Ops supervisor for that site.
o Questions during audit were answered based on head engineers’ observations and perceptions.
o Walk-through portion of audit consisted of observing (as needed):
2 hallways (or other common areas)
3 classrooms
1 bathroom
Cafeteria
Dumpsters
o Contamination assessment portion of audit consisted of visually assessing:
2 bags of trash
2 bags of mixed recycling
2 bags of organic waste
8 Not all schools were able to supply samples for contamination assessment due to various reasons. In such
cases, samples were attained in these other manners (where possible):
Observing bags already disposed of in dumpsters
Observing un-bagged waste in dumpsters equivalent to bag
Observing active containers on the floor
Clarification on contaminants:
Non-recyclable paper include: food-soiled paper, napkins, paperware, milk cartons.
Non-recyclable plastics include: shrinkwrap, plasticware, food containers.
Cardboard is allowed in single stream collection, so it is categorized with ‘paper’ for our purposes.
Food waste is only considered a contaminant in trash where organics recycling is in place.