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<title>Recycling Archives - The Utah Statesman</title>
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<title>Recycling Archives - The Utah Statesman</title>
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<title>USU races to zero waste in nationwide sustainability challenge</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/usu-races-to-zero-waste-in-nationwide-sustainability-challenge/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Maren Archibald]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 19 Feb 2024 12:30:10 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[campus race to zero waste]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[campus sustainability]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[competition]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Recycling]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Student Sustainability Office]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sustainability]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22128271</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Along with a goal to be carbon neutral by 2040, Utah State University is racing to zero waste this semester.…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-races-to-zero-waste-in-nationwide-sustainability-challenge/">USU races to zero waste in nationwide sustainability challenge</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p1">Along with a goal to be carbon neutral by 2040, Utah State University is racing to zero waste this semester.</p>
<p class="p2">Campus Race to Zero Waste is a collegiate sustainability competition measuring the waste generated on college campuses across the country.</p>
<p class="p2">Maggie Eguko, marketing and community outreach director for USU Sustainability, said USU has participated in the competition since 2018.</p>
<p class="p2">During the competition, which started on Jan. 28 and runs until March 19, the sustainability office submits a weekly report of how much waste the campus has generated.</p>
<p class="p2">“We actually weigh all of our waste here on campus, so we know the exact amount of tons that we have in waste on any given week,” Eguko said.</p>
<p class="p2">One competition category measures waste diversion, or how much material is recycled instead of trashed.</p>
<p class="p2">“Every single week, we report how much of that is recycled, and whichever campus is the highest increase in recycled material receives national recognition and a bunch of other benefits in grants and money,” Eguko said.</p>
<p class="p2">According to the facilities website, USU currently recycles around 26% of its solid waste stream.</p>
<p class="p2">“If we were to jump that to 50, or even 60%, for just these eight weeks, we’d be in the top fifth percentile for this competition,” Eguko said.</p>
<p class="p2">USU is the only university in Utah registered for the competition, but several universities in the Mountain West Conference are participating: California State Fresno, Colorado State, University of Nevada-Las Vegas and Wyoming.</p>
<p class="p2">Current standings in the challenge are public and can be viewed at campusracetozerowaste.org/scoreboard/current-results.</p>
<p class="p2">“When you’re on campus, make sure you’re aware of the waste that you’re creating,” Eguko said. “It’s really important to make sure that as many people as possible understand what’s happening that way. Even if it’s only for eight weeks in the year, they’re looking at their bottles and figuring out whether it’s recyclable or not.”</p>
<p class="p2">As the competition goes on, the sustainability office will be hosting events and Snacktivities to inform and encourage students to have more sustainable habits.</p>
<p class="p2">On Feb. 8, in conjunction with the annual Sweater Swap, free soup was served with sustainable bowls and spoons.</p>
<p class="p2">Vegan Recipes and Collages night, an activity focused on reducing food waste, will be held on Feb. 27.</p>
<p class="p2">In partnership with True Blue Reuse and the Christensen Office for Social Action and Sustainability, the sustainability office will hold a book swap on March 6 to decrease paper waste.</p>
<p class="p2">“Every person who brings a book, gets a book,” Eguko said.</p>
<p class="p2">Along with waste diversion, the competition also has a few special categories. One of these is Game Day Basketball, a one-day challenge measuring the waste diversion from a single basketball game.</p>
<p class="p2">To promote the challenge, Eguko said the sustainability office will be hosting a sustainability tailgate in partnership with the HURD before the men’s basketball game versus Air Force on March 1.</p>
<p class="p2">“We’ll have fun games — sustainability themed, we’ll have sustainable foods. We’ll be using recyclable materials,” Eguko said.</p>
<p class="p2">Caitlin McLennan, sustainability program manager, said one of the engagement activities at the game, called Trash Talking, is designed to help fans think more about their waste.</p>
<p class="p2">“We staff each waste place, like each trashcan, and we co-locate it with a recycling bin during the activity,” McLennan said. “We place volunteers throughout the stadium right on top so that way when guests come and they throw whatever they have into a receptacle, we can stop them and say ‘No, actually, that’s recyclable. This is the area where you put that.’”</p>
<p class="p2">Eguko said there will also be announcements during the game to remind fans to recycle their waste, which will be weighed after the game and reported to the competition.</p>
<p class="p2">“It’s a good way to, you know, intervene in fan behavior and get people thinking about where their waste goes,” McLennan said.</p>
<p class="p2">The competition also has a category for food organics. McLennan said USU processes pre-consumer organics in a large greenhouse airflow composter called The Pit. The waste is turned by a large auger, and the whole process takes about six weeks.</p>
<p class="p2">“We can only process veggie scraps, fruit scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells — anything that is not a meat product or dairy and doesn’t have a ton of oil,” McLennan said.</p>
<p class="p2">USU Landscape Operations and Maintenance then uses the compost, along with other green waste from pruning, trimming and mowing, for fertilization around campus.</p>
<p class="p2">“Shane (Richards) is our LOAM manager, and he is very, very proud of our circular landscape system,” McLennan said. “It’s like 95% there, and we are working and interested in actively having conversations about expanding our compost program.”</p>
<p class="p2">McLennan said although there aren’t currently “diversion receptacles,” or recycling bins, in USU’s athletic spaces, it’s something she’s actively working on.</p>
<p class="p2">“You can’t blame fans for not participating in a recycling program if you don’t set the table,” McLennan said. “You have to have the infrastructure in place before any sort of measurement needs to happen.”</p>
<p class="p2">McLennan said USU President Betsy Cantwell recently moved her position as program manager from facilities to the Office of the President “to try and integrate sustainability more holistically throughout the university.”</p>
<p class="p2">The campus recycling team, which is staffed by two to four students each semester, monitors the bins around campus and sorts the collected materials. If students see overflowing bins, they can contact the team by calling (435) 797-2011.</p>
<p class="p2">McLennan said USU only recycles #1 and #2 plastics, which includes soda and water bottles, milk jugs and shampoo bottles. They also recycle cardboard, paper and aluminum.</p>
<p class="p2">“It takes a village,” McLennan said. “I totally understand where people will be confused and we’d have high contamination rates, because it’s different everywhere you go.”</p>
<p class="p2">To help reduce contamination in campus recycling bins and help the recycling team, McLennan said students should break down their cardboard, avoid recycling containers with a lot of food residue in them and double check the plastics number.</p>
<p class="p2">“Check before you chuck,” McLennan said. “When in doubt, throw it out.”</p>
<p class="p2">A chart of which materials USU recycling accepts and how to correctly recycle or dispose of them can be found at usu.edu/facilities/recycling/recyclables.</p>
<p class="p2">Beyond the competition, McLennan encourages students to get involved with sustainability in whatever way interests them.</p>
<p class="p2">“However it makes sense to you to participate in climate action is the way that I tell people to get involved — if that’s voting or organizing or getting involved with SOSNR (Student Organization for Society and Natural Resources) or the sustainability club,” McLennan said. “If you can get a sustainability course under your belt, try and understand how complex the problem is.”</p>
<p class="p2">Eguko said although students may find it hard to put forth effort into a place they are only living in for a short amount of time, sustainability and climate action matter all over the world.</p>
<p class="p2">“Sustainable efforts are something that affect everyone worldwide, not just little Logan,” Eguko said. “So even if you’re not staying here longer than six months, that waste that you contribute, those carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide emissions that you put out, they’re still going into the same atmosphere that you breathe when you go home.”</p>
<p class="p2">Ultimately, McLennan said when it comes to climate action, organizations have more obligation to act than individuals do.</p>
<p class="p2">“It’s not your responsibility to do anything,” McLennan said. “It’s an organization’s responsibility to decide that’s their prerogative, right — that that’s something that they’re interested in investing in and will make a priority for the whole institution.”</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-races-to-zero-waste-in-nationwide-sustainability-challenge/">USU races to zero waste in nationwide sustainability challenge</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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<item>
<title>One emission at a time: USU’s road to carbon neutrality</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/one-emission-at-a-time-usus-road-to-carbon-neutrality/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Casper]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 23 Oct 2023 12:45:52 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Highlander]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Lifestyles]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[campus sustainability]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[carbon neutral]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Communicating Sustainability]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[fuel efficiency]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Logan power]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Recycling]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[renewable energy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU sustainability program]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[waste]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22126160</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>By the year 2050, USU plans to reach carbon neutrality, meaning the university has a goal to strike a balance…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/one-emission-at-a-time-usus-road-to-carbon-neutrality/">One emission at a time: USU’s road to carbon neutrality</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span data-contrast="auto">By the year 2050, USU plans to reach carbon neutrality, meaning the university has a goal to strike a balance between the amount of carbon emitted and how much the university absorbs. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The university plans to accomplish this by eliminating many of its greenhouse gasses including but not limited to heating, cooling, landscaping, transportation and waste. The USU Sustainability Council works hard to make sure USU is on the correct path to reach this goal. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Caitlin McLennan is USU’s Sustainability Program Manager. She works full time to track USU greenhouse gas emissions. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“I chair the university-wide Sustainability Council, so my work spans across campus,” McLennan said. “I work in about every department with as many stakeholders as I possibly can to try and integrate sustainability into operations, academics, policy, decision making and all that sort of stuff.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">USU has a large campus that employs and educates vast numbers of people. There are many things happening between all the different colleges, so it’s crucial to keep an eye on all the little things such as waste management and greenhouse gasses. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Jordan Taft is a planning and sustainability intern who helps facilities planning, design and construction. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">“USU’s goal of carbon neutrality is to make sure as an institution we are responding to the reality of a changing climate,” Taft wrote. “By limiting our carbon (and equivalent) emissions, we are making sure the institution is resilient for the future and preserving our future.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">There are three scopes contributing to greenhouse gas emission that USU Sustainability keeps a very detailed record of </span><span data-contrast="auto">in compliance with AASHE and Second Nature reporting requirements.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">“Scope one is really all of your direct emissions,” McLennan said. “That’s anything that is combusted or consumed on campus.” </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">Scope one includes livestock the university owns as well as the campus bus, shuttles and everything at the central energy plant. Scope two is any electricity USU purchases from other sources. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Scope two is anything that we’re buying from Logan line power, right up in Logan, Rocky Mountain Power or other campuses and then other municipal power companies. If we’re not under Rocky Mountain Power lands,” McLennan said. “Scope three is direct and indirect emissions related to consumption and waste. So anything that’s processed off site is going to fall into that scope three category.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Scope three includes landfilled waste on the Logan campus; university study abroad and business travel; student, staff, and faculty commuting; and some paper purchasing. USU currently doesn’t track all of these but is hoping to start tracking them in the future. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">USU Sustainability has 11 strategies for tracking greenhouse gas emissions and lowering emissions for the campus. However, one of the strategies from the reduction report is no longer feasible.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“The tricky thing with that reduction report is that rate 32 is no longer available through Rocky Mountain Power for Utah State University,” McLennan said. “That’s a power purchase agreement, which would have allowed us to purchase renewable energy.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">On the USU Sustainability website in their USU greenhouse gas reduction committee final report, they list their key recommendations. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Some of these recommendations include switching to energy saving lighting, looking for ways to improve fuel efficiency for USU vehicles, developing fund raising events for sustainability, adopting climate focused learning outcomes and more. To see the full list of recommendations, visit </span><a href="https://www.usu.edu/sustainability/about/index"><span data-contrast="none">https://www.usu.edu/sustainability/about/index</span></a><span data-contrast="none">. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":10,"335559739":14,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">These strategies have been effective, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some problems arising. One problem is funding for sustainability projects. USU sustainability receives less funding for projects than other universities. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Compared to other similar universities USU has 60% less funding for campus sustainability work. Most other universities have a whole office of sustainability, and we use a less formal model,” Taft wrote.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Reaching carbon neutrality is costly. A lot of time and management goes into planning out what emissions can be reduced, as well as emissions that can be replaced by more sustainable opinions. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Funding for our Decarbonization Plan is also a work in progress, and we’re hopeful we’ll be able to chip away at it year by year,” Taft wrote. “That project will cost around $140 million in full, and our goal is to have it completed by 2040.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">USU has a large sustainability team that works hard to make the plan function. The team collaborates with the faculty to make sure the whole campus can reduce emissions. Currently, there are about 30 members on the USU Sustainability Council working together in different areas to cover all bases. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“I’m our sustainability program manager — this is my full time job,” McLennan said. “To coordinate the Sustainability Council; to calculate our greenhouse gas emissions to make sure that we’re reporting to do outreach around all of that to do waste audits; to coordinate waste reduction and establish planning and goals; and then to also do and coordinate integration into the curriculum with some faculty members.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">There are also student interns that are committing their time to help in the USU sustainability projects. The interns’ help is crucial to help promote and manage the work that has already been done. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Then there are three part time student sustainability assistants, and two part time planning interns (like me!),” Taft wrote. “There are so many more people working on sustainability efforts around campus though, like at our sister department COSAS where there is a coordinator and 4 part-time sustainability interns, our campus energy manager, recycling coordinator, and so many more people! Sustainability has been integrated into USU Facilities for a while, and we all have a role to play in the carbon neutrality goal!”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Even with all the effort the USU sustainability is doing, they can’t do it alone. USU is a large community and it takes a lot more than a small team to promote big environmental changes. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“The best thing that people can do to help USU reach carbon neutrality is to show your support,” Taft wrote. “There is this misconception that people here don’t care about sustainability, but that is just not the case. So, show your support. Talk to people about climate change and reducing carbon emissions. Come to our events. Talk to your supervisors about making small changes in your events, offices, departments, buildings, whatever!”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/one-emission-at-a-time-usus-road-to-carbon-neutrality/">One emission at a time: USU’s road to carbon neutrality</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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<title>Cache County recycling no longer accepting certain kinds of plastic</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/cache-county-recycling-no-longer-accepting-certain-kinds-of-plastic/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Autumn Marilyn Miskin]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jun 2019 03:31:10 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Cache County]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[cache county recycling]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Logan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Mountain Fiber Insulation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[plastic]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[plastic #3-7]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Recycling]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22103566</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Starting immediately Cache County will no longer be accepting plastics “three through seven” as part of their curbside recycling program.…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/cache-county-recycling-no-longer-accepting-certain-kinds-of-plastic/">Cache County recycling no longer accepting certain kinds of plastic</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Starting immediately Cache County will <a href="https://www.loganutah.org/government/departments/environmental/recycling/what_can_i_recycle.php">no longer be accepting</a> plastics “<a href="https://cms.revize.com/revize/loganutah/departments/enviromental/Documents/Curbside%20Services%202019.pdf">three through seven</a>” as part of their curbside recycling program.</p>
<p>“It is a global issue with recycling plastics right now,” said Logan city conservation coordinator Emily Malik. “We have to ship them overseas to China and they no longer want the plastics that they were receiving, so it is taking some adjustments on our end.”</p>
<p>Malik said the most effective change, which went into place in May, is most likely the <a href="https://cms.revize.com/revize/loganutah/plastics2019.pdf">elimination of number 5 plastics,</a> which include items such as disposable plastic cups, sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, and butter containers.</p>
<p>“I would say the majority of plastics you have in your homes are ones and twos,” Malik said. “I don’t think this change means that our recycling program is worthless. You can still put paper, cardboard, and metals in there and then the plastics one and two, so you can still recycle a significant amount of material in your recycling container. I don’t expect people to have a half full container now because of the change.”</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Other common examples of #3-7 plastics that may no longer be recycled are:</span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Window cleaner, detergent, shampoo bottles</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Squeezable bottles, (syrup, ketchup, mustard)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Disposable plates and cups</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">egg cartons</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">carry-out containers</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">aspirin bottles, medicine bottles</span></li>
</ul>
<p>Kim Allsop, a manager at Mountain Fiber Insulation, Inc., the company that does the recycling for Logan City said word is still getting out about the change in what plastics are being accepted at MF, so it will take some time to make this change.</p>
<h2>What can’t I recycle in a blue container?</h2>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>These items are NOT ACCEPTED for recycling in your blue container:</strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Plastics #3-7, unmarked plastics, plastic bags, plastic lids, or styrofoam</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Glass (we have drop site locations for recycling)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Pizza boxes (if they are greasy – pizza boxes without grease can be torn in half and recycled)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Frozen food containers that have the food embedded in the container</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Yard Waste</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Foil wrapping paper or ribbons</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Diapers</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Paper Plate, napkins, tissues</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Potato chip bags</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Pet food bags</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Shredded paper</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Waxy milk containers</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Juice boxes or other aseptic packaging</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Photographs</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Any container that once held motor oil</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Hardcover books or spiral bound books</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Aluminum foil or foil pans</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0000ff;">Wrapping Paper or tissue</span></li>
</ul>
<p>“It cost more to sort the stuff we throw away than it does to sort the stuff that we can utilize,” Kim said. “Right now, we are only taking ones and twos which there is a market for.”</p>
<h2>Where else is the recycling change happening?</h2>
<p>Malik said this change is not singular to Cache County. It is happening nationwide.</p>
<p>“The reason we are not doing the threes through sevens is because there is no market for them. There hasn’t been a very good market for quite some time, but we’ve been able to find a place for it to go and that’s why we had continued doing it, but it just came down to the point where we no longer have anywhere to go with these plastics,” said Kristin Allsop, the secretary at Mountain Fiber.</p>
<p>Although plastics three through seven are not accepted anymore, plastics ones and twos are.</p>
<h2>What happens if I accidentally put #3-7 plastic in the recycling?</h2>
<p>“If people continue to put the threes through sevens in the recycling basically all it is doing to us is we’re having to sort those out still, so it is kind of slowing down our process from being able to just get the plastics that are recyclable currently,” Kristin said. “We’re trying to do whatever we can to <a href="https://usustatesman.com/apathy-awareness-usu-initiates-new-recycling-week/">keep our program strong</a> and not make it go under completely.</p>
<p><em><a href="mailto:ammiskin@gmail.com">ammiskin@gmail.com</a></em></p>
<p><em>@AutumnMarilyn</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/cache-county-recycling-no-longer-accepting-certain-kinds-of-plastic/">Cache County recycling no longer accepting certain kinds of plastic</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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<title>From apathy to awareness: USU initiates new Recycling Week</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/apathy-awareness-usu-initiates-new-recycling-week/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Bobbee Russell]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 28 Feb 2017 03:17:26 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Blue Goes Green]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[compost]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Recycling]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Student Organization for Society and Natural Resources]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Student Sustainability Office]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sustainability]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU Dining Services]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU Recycling center]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[waste disposal]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://usustatesman.com/?p=22012310</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>A Utah State University-sponsored recycling awareness event began today in the Taggart Student Center’s Hub. The event was a collaboration…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/apathy-awareness-usu-initiates-new-recycling-week/">From apathy to awareness: USU initiates new Recycling Week</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Utah State University-sponsored recycling awareness event began today in the Taggart Student Center’s Hub.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The event was a collaboration between by USU’s Recycling center, Dining Services and Student Sustainability Office and will take place every day this week from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. During these times, volunteers will be available in the Hub to instruct students about recycling correctly. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">New recycling bins will have sensors with 25 phrases thanking people who recycle. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bins with lids will replace the the old ones as well as the shadow box signs that were there before. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The new lids in the Hub will require a little more effort from students. For those who want to recycle, it won’t be a problem,” said Dining Services executive director Alan Andersen. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Inspiration for the event arose as a result of some of the campus community placing recyclable items in the incorrect bins. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Recycle awareness week is about informing the campus community and hopefully reducing the apathy about recycling,”Andersen said. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To make recycling make economic sense, the USU Recycling Center relies on students who eat in the Hub to sort recyclable items. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andersen mentioned that the public wouldn’t want to pay extra for food items to employ someone to sort. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We can’t pay to sort. We rely on the consumer to sort,” Andersen said. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">USU Dining Services is making an effort to make recycling socially acceptable. Andersen wants students to be willing to recycle. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The problem has become noticeable to students. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I look inside different bins and there’s stuff in there that should be in other bins. It’s a problem,” said Ethan Hammer, freshman conservation and restoration ecology major. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recycling and waste intern Paige Morgan initiated an audit system where students will be able to see how much recycled materials are being collected. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Morgan will use a scale showing the amount of material being recycled. Contamination will be sorted out. Then, the actual recycled materials will be weighed and the rate of contaminated material or recycled material will be announced to the public. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My goal for the audit is to see that there is an improvement from the contamination to recycling ratio. I hope that recycling is a lot higher than the contamination and that the recycling is highly usable,” Morgan said. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Morgan said she is grateful for the 17 volunteers who stepped up to help raise recycling awareness. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are many sustainability organizations on campus that brought in volunteers, including the USU Sustainability Club, the student sustainability office and the Student Organization for Society and Natural Resources, as well as natural resources classes. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Hammer said he grew up loving service and is passionate about sustainability. For him, this event is “a good combination of both.” </span></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—<a href="mailto:-b96russell@gmail.com">b96russell@gmail.com</a></span></i></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">@bjr24601</span></i></p>
<p>Photo by Ethan Babcock</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/apathy-awareness-usu-initiates-new-recycling-week/">From apathy to awareness: USU initiates new Recycling Week</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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<title>RecycleMania competition encourages sustainability on campus</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/recyclemania-competition-encourages-sustainability-on-campus/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[George Labonty]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 07 Feb 2016 20:47:37 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Campus News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Alexi Lamm]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[BYU]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[competition]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Emily Blake]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Recyclemania]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Recycling]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sustainability]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Utah]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Utah State]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://usustatesman.com/?p=22005130</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Monday Feb. 8 kicks off the 16th annual RecycleMania, a competition between schools within the state and across the country…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/recyclemania-competition-encourages-sustainability-on-campus/">RecycleMania competition encourages sustainability on campus</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Monday Feb. 8 kicks off the 16th annual RecycleMania, a competition between schools within the state and across the country to reduce waste and increase recycling. This will be the twelfth year Utah State has participated In RecycleMania, and there are plenty of ways students can help out.</p>
<p>Alexi Lamm, PhD student and sustainability coordinator at Utah State, who helped organize this year’s event, said, “RecycleMania is a celebration and an emphasis on recycling for two months of the school year. We mainly compete with local and state schools like the U and BYU. Mostly BYU.”</p>
<p>Over the next two months, the amount of recyclables that pass through the campus recycling center, as well as the amount of waste taken to the landfill, will be weighed and tallied to see how Utah State compares to other schools. </p>
<p>There are two categories in the competition. The first is per capita weight of recycled materials, measuring how much USU students can recycle rather than just put in the trash. The second is per capita waste reduction, which will add the total weight of trash and recyclables, encouraging reuse whenever possible to keep the total amount of waste down.</p>
<p>“USU typically does better at the waste minimization, which is a great one to do better in if you’re gonna pick,” Lamm said. “USU’s been doing this since 2005. In 2005 there were 35 universities participating now there are over 200, so USU’s been involved for a while.”</p>
<p>Utah State has been able to hold its own in the competition, especially on the state level. </p>
<p>“In the state, we’re pretty competitive, but we obviously have a lot of progress we could be making,” said Emily Blake, a senior in Environmental Studies and Sustainable Systems, and another of the event organizers.</p>
<p>Students can contribute to the competition by taking an extra second to make sure they put any recyclable waste in the appropriate bin, or making use of the water refill stations around campus to reduce waste wherever they can. </p>
<p>“We want to make sure students know what’s recyclable. All the bins on campus are labled for plastic, paper, metal, cardboard even rigid styrophome, but there are even places on campus that will recycle your used batteries and lightbulbs,” Lamm said. “Additionally, starting next week, dining services is going to have additional facilities at all the cafes that will take food waste to the industrial size composter that USU has. This will be the first time we’re gonna be taking post consumer waste for reuse. We’ll take it to the composter and once it’s done, it’ll end up back in our gardens on campus.”</p>
<p>Students can help by not only reducing waste and recycling containers and paper, but also by disposing of food properly and in sustainable ways.</p>
<p>“RecycleMania is a great way to start thinking about reducing waste, increasing recycling, and just thinking about the world in terms of systems, and a complete loop. And through that process we can have fun and talk about these topics while competing with other universities around the state. Our campus has really grown with what we’re able to recycle and our sustainability initiatives, so it’s really adding to that movement,” said Blake, who is also the waste and recycling intern at the student sustainability center.</p>
<p>The biggest challenge is getting as many people involved as possible, she said. </p>
<p>“We’re trying to find the most effective way to get every aspect of campus involved,” Blake said.</p>
<p>Even the competition kick-off will have sustainable aspects to get students involved. </p>
<p>“Monday is the kick-off for RecycleMania. There’s gonna be Ibis coffee and hot chocolate trying to get everyone pumped for RecycleMania. There’ll be a few clubs out there promoting what they’re doing for it. We’re encouraging people to bring their own mug to fill up their hot drink with,” Blake said. </p>
<p>For information about events and projects with RecycleMania, students can go to the link on the <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usu.edu/recycle/recyclemania">USU Recycling website</a>.</p>
<p>— <em>austinlabonty@gmail.com<br /></em></p>
<p><i>@GALaBonty</i></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/recyclemania-competition-encourages-sustainability-on-campus/">RecycleMania competition encourages sustainability on campus</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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