uw recycling annual report 2016 · 1000 tons due in large part to the revised food waste estimate...

UW RECYCLING ANNUAL REPORT 2016 BUILDING SERVICES DEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

http://www.washington.edu/facilities/building/recyclingandsolidwaste/

2016 ANNUAL REPORT 2

CONTENTS

Overview 2

Diversion Rate 4

Net Avoided Disposal Cost 6

Carbon Footprint 7

Recycling Streams 10

Highlight: Process Improvement with Streams Launch 14

Highlight: Glove Recycling Pilot 15

Highlight: Revised Food Waste Estimate 18

Collection Services 19

Program Costs 22

Program Operations 23

Looking Ahead 25

UW RECYCLING MISSION STATEMENT

UW Recycling provides innovative recycling, composting and waste reduction solutions with unmatched passion for the health of our campus and our planet.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

KEY POINTS• 63% diversion rate

• Saved more than $1.7 million by recycling, composting and reuse (includes donations)

• Net reduction of more than 11,126 tons of greenhouse gas emissions

INTRODUCTION The Fiscal Year 2016 UW Recycling Annual Report provides an overview of the University of Washington’s recycling and solid waste program in Seattle from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016.

Committed to data integrity, UW Recycling took the initiative to conduct a route audit with our food waste collection vendor, Cedar Grove, in order to determine updated weight estimates for compostable materialsbeingcollectedfromcampus.Asaresultoftheadjustment,thewastediversionforfiscalyear2016hasdecreasedfromthereportedfiscalyear2015numbers.

UW Recycling and its sister unit, Custodial Services, are both managed by the Building Services Department. BSD is one of eight departments within UW Facilities Services, which maintains the University’s physical plant, grounds, transportation, emergency operations, building maintenance, and waste management programs.

UW RecyclingOur University. Our Planet.

UW RECYCLING FISCAL YEAR 2016 ANNUAL REPORT


2016 ANNUAL REPORT 4 3 UW Recycling

DIVERSION RATE: 63%

The diversion rate is the best indicator of how successful the University of Washington is in keeping

materialsoutofthelandfill.Itisusedtomeasurehowtheinstitutionisdoingcomparedtoprevious

years, other higher education institutions, and the City of Seattle. The diversion rate is calculated by

dividingthetotaltonsofmaterialdivertedfromthelandfillbythetotaltonsofwastegeneratedforthe

University’s campus in Seattle.

Thediversionrateforfiscalyear2016was63%,downfrom66%infiscalyear2015.Thetotalamountof

material recycled decreased (7,351 tons in FY 2016 vs. 8,569 tons in FY 2015) and the total amount of

materiallandfilledalsodecreasedslightly(4,406tonsinFY2016vs.4,504tonsinFY2015).Thedecrease

in material recycled is mainly due to receiving updated food waste weight estimates from our vendor at

thestartoffiscalyear2016,whichdeterminedthatthematerialUWcompostedislighterthantheout-

dated estimates we were using previously. An important highlight is that the total amount of material we

landfillisdecreasing,despitethefactthatthecampuscontinuestogrow.

UW Recycling monitors the waste diversion numbers each quarter and tries to identify trends or causes

foranyfluctuations.Wealsodevelopannualprogramplanscenteredonincreasingwastediversion.

Forfiscalyear2016,thefocusincluded:increasedcompostcollectioninresidencehalls;continued

educationaloutreachandwastecollectioninfrastructureimprovementsthroughoutcampus;andthe

continued promotion and implementation of our waste diversion programs, i.e. MiniMax, increased

public area composting and restroom paper towel composting.

FISCAL YEAR 2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS Each year, UW Recycling monitors its program’s success and develops new initiatives to help drive wastediversionefforts.ThisyearUWRecyclingcontinuedtoraiseoverallawarenessaboutitswastediversiongoalof70%by2020.Specificeducationalandinfrastructuralaccomplishmentsforfiscalyear2016include:

• Came in 25th overallinthenationalRecycleManiacompetitionandsurpassedourPac-12rivalsforthe

third year in a row!

• Diverted26tonsofmaterialthroughdonationsandrecyclingduringourend-of-yearstudent

move out program, SCRAM.

• Named 2016 Higher Ed. Recycler of the Year by the Washington State Recycling Association (WSRA).

• Launched Streams application, including mobile route communication and improved online

request forms.

• Performed a route audit to update food waste estimates.

• Contributed waste diversion data that helped UW earn a position on The Princeton Review’s Green

Honor Roll for the sixth straight year.

• Continued the expansion of MiniMax and restroom paper towel composting whereby 60% of

campusisparticipatingintheseprograms;anincreasefrom56%.

• Extended public area composting opportunities through the installation of four more outdoor

BigBelly® Solar Kiosks and 100 additional compost bins in building common areas such as kitchens,

break rooms and main hallways.

DIVERSION RATE GOALAVERAGE WASTE PRODUCED PER PERSON

(FTE) PER YEAR FOR UW IN SEATTLE

0.12

0

0.11

3

0.10

7

0.08

9

0.09

1

0.08

5

0.08

5

0.08

1

0.08

0

0.07

4

0.07

1

0.10

0.09 0.

10

0.11 0.

12

0.11

0.11

0.11 0.

12 0.14

0.12

0.000

0.050

0.100

0.150

0.200

0.250

FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16

Tons

Average amount of waste produced per person (FTE) per year for the UW Seattle Campus: Landfilled and Diverted

Landfilled Diverted

13%

54% 55% 57% 57% 58%61%

66%63%

70%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

FY89 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY20

Div

ersi

on R

ate

Goal: 70% by 2020


NET AVOIDED DISPOSAL COST

Netavoideddisposalcostisacalculationthatshowsthebenefitsofourprogramandwhetheritmakes

goodeconomicsensetorecycle.Thenetavoideddisposalcostiscalculatedbylookingattwothings:the

costtolandfillmaterialsversuscosttorecyclematerials,andtheoveralladministrative/operationalcosts

toruntherecycling&solidwasteprogram.Oncethefiguresarecalculatedwesubtracttheaveragecost

pertontorecyclefromtheaveragecostpertontolandfill,andthenmultiplythedifferencebythetotal

tons recycled.

Apositivenetavoideddisposalcostdemonstratesthatitcostslesstorecyclethantolandfillwaste.The

fiscalyear2016netavoideddisposalcostwas$1,744,308.61,aslightdecreaseof$200,000fromthe2015

netavoideddisposalcostsfrom2015.In2016,theamountofmaterialwediverteddecreasedbyover

1000 tons due in large part to the revised food waste estimate we are using to calculate monthly diver-

siontotalsoffoodwaste.However,theamountofmaterialwelandfilledalsodecreasedby200tons.

Notethatrecycledandlandfilledspecialwastearenotincludedwhencalculatingthenetavoided

disposalcost.Recycledspecialwaste(e.g.electronics,fluorescentbulbsandelectronicmedia)cannot

belandfilledanddoesnotcontributetothesavingsachievedthroughrecycling.Itsinclusioninthenet

avoideddisposalcostwouldsignificantlyincreasetheaveragecostpertontorecycle,therebymis-

representingtheoverallaveragecostpertontorecycle.Landfilledspecialwaste(e.g.biowasteand

Sharps) is not included when calculating the net avoided disposal cost because the high costs associated

withitsdisposalwouldskewtheaveragecostpertontolandfill.

2016 DIVERTED TONNAGE VERSUS LANDFILL TONNAGE

FISCAL YEAR PROGRESSION OF DIVERTED TONNAGE VERSUS LANDFILL TONNAGE

NET AVOIDED DISPOSAL COST

6,417 6,547 6,621

7,360

8,569

7,351

4,901 4,934 4,790 4,8024,504 4,406

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16

Ton

s of

Mat

eria

l

Diverted Landfilled$966,033

$1,229,505 $1,205,941

$1,814,648

$1,918,584

$1,744,309

$100,000

$300,000

$500,000

$700,000

$900,000

$1,100,000

$1,300,000

$1,500,000

$1,700,000

$1,900,000

$2,100,000

FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16N

et A

void

ed D

ispo

sal C

ost

7,351 tons

4,406 tons Diverted

Landfilled


CARBON FOOTPRINT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SOLID WASTE

Thecollectionofsolidwasteproducesgreenhousegasemissionsinthreeprimaryways:

• Disposal:theanaerobicdecompositionofwasteinlandfillsproducesmethane,agreenhousegas

21 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

• Transportation:the transportation of waste to disposal sites produces greenhouse gas emissions

from the combustion of the fuel used in transport.

• Manufacturing:becausefossilfuelsareusedtoobtainrawmaterialsand/ormanufacturenewitems,

makingnewproductstoreplaceitemsdisposedofinthelandfillproducesgreenhousegasemissions.

Estimating Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Waste Reduction Model (WARM) is designed to estimate

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reductions associated with various waste management strategies.

By calculating emissions in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E), the model divides waste

intomultiplecategoriesdependingonwastetypeandallowstheusertodesignatelandfill,incineration,

recycling, or composting as the method of disposal.

UW Recycling’s Carbon Footprint

AcarbonfootprintisdefinedasthetotalsetofGHGemissionscauseddirectlyandindirectlybyan

individual, organization, event, or product. UW Recycling used WARM to estimate the carbon footprint

oftheUniversity’srecyclingandsolidwasteprogramsforfiscalyear2016.

WARMreportsnetemissionsonlyfromthe“mixedMSW”(landfilledwaste)category.Recycledorcom-

postedmaterials,63%ofthewastestreaminfiscalyear2016,resultinnetreductionsofGHGemissions,

as indicated by the numbers in parentheses within the chart to the right. Recycling and composting are

consideredlessGHGintensive.Byrecyclingorcomposting63%ofthewastegeneratedinfiscalyear

2016, the University’s recycling and solid waste programs had a net reduction of greenhouse gas

emissions of 11,126 MTCO2E,whichisanincreasefromthepreviousfiscalyear.

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS

(12,585)

(10,603)

(9,329)

(9,726)(10,617) (11,126)

(15,000)

(10,000)

(5,000)

0FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16

Net

Red

uctio

n of

GH

G E

mis

sion

s


What Do These Numbers Mean?

TherecyclingeffortsattheUniversityofWashingtonhaveapositiveeffectonourenvironmentandour

community.Infiscalyear2016,theUniversity’srecyclingandsolidwasteprograms:

•Conservedenergyequivalentto727Americanhouseholds’annualenergyconsumption

•Reducedpollutionequivalenttotaking1,900carsofftheroadforafullyear.

•Reducedenergyconsumptionequivalentto1,177,294gallonsofgasolineor54railwaycarsfullofcoal.

*ThetotaltonslistedintheWARMcalculationdonotincludefluorescentlighting,printercartridges,Styrofoam,construction&demolitionwaste(C&D)andbatteries.Inaddition,WARMdoesnotrecognizenetreductionsasaresultofreusingmaterial;therefore,tonnagesforSCRAMdonationsandUWSurplusresolditemsarenotaccountedforinthiscalculation.

Notes:Basedonlandfilldistanceof260miles(ColumbiaRidge,Oregon)and“LFGRecovery-Flare”inWARMtool.UsedWashingtonaverageandrecyclingandcompostingdefaultdistanceof20miles.MixedMetalsincludesscrapmetalandrefrigerators.Personalcomputersincludeselectronics,monitors/TVsande.Media.

RECYCLING STREAMS

Recyclable materials collected on campus are consolidated into combined material streams that mirror

industrystandardsandarecategorizedasfollows:

Combined Fiber

Combinedfiberiscardboard,mixedpaperandcombinedpaper/cardboard.

Organics

Organicsisfoodwasteandcompostableserviceware,cleanwood/palletsandlandscapedebris.

Construction & Demolition (C&D)

Constructionanddemolition(C&D)ismixedC&D,concrete/asphalt,carpetandmetal.MixedC&D

includesmetalandconcrete/asphaltwhenthoseitemscannotbeseparatedoutfromtherestofthe

material.Wherepossible,concrete/asphaltandmetalareeachcollectedseparatelyforrecycling.

Mixed Recyclables

Mixedrecyclablesconsistsofmixedcontainers,single-streamandplastics.Mixedcontainersincludesall

container-typematerialsthatareacceptedbyourrecyclingvendor,suchasbottles,cans,cups,jars,

cartons,jugs,andasepticpackaging.Single-streamcombinesbothmixedcontainersandpaper.Plastics

includesplasticfilmandStyrofoam.

Recycled Special Waste

Recycledspecialwasteisabroadcategory.Itpertainstowastethatcontainspotentiallytoxicsubstances,

suchasmercury,refrigerantsandlead,andthereforeisbannedbylawfromdisposalinthelandfill.

Thisincludeselectronics,whitegoods,fluorescentlightingandbatteries.Italsoincludesauxiliary

recyclablesthatcannotbeplacedinyourregularrecyclingbinsuchasprinter/copiercartridgesand

components;electronicmedia,suchasDVDsandcomputerdisks;smallpersonalelectronics,suchas

cellphonesandportablemusicplayers;andmiscellaneousitemssuchastires,mattresses,textilesand

used cooking oil collected from campus dining facilities.

MATERIALS

Mixed Municipal Solid Waste

Food Scraps

Yard Trimmings

Cardboard

Concrete

Dimensional Lumber

Mixed Metals

Mixed Paper

Mixed Recyclables

Carpet

Personal Computers

Tires

TONS

4,406

1,430

650

286

233

173

528

827

1,264

10

132

5

MTCO2E

(376)

(283)

(128)

(888)

(19)

(425)

(2,854)

(2,904)

(3,630)

(70)

(299)

(2)

FY16 TOTAL 9,944* (11,126)

W A R M C a l c u l a t i o n s


UW Surplus and Donations

Resold items and donations are included in our waste diversion because the University of Washington

measures its sustainability performance by using the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating

System™ (STARS®), which includes reselling as a criterion for waste diversion.

All items purchased with University monies or given to the University that are no longer needed by a

department,whethertheyareinworkingornon-workingcondition,mustbetransferredtoUWSurplus

for recycling, resale, or disposal. Tonnage for all Surplus items that are recycled is captured in the

construction and demolition stream. Tonnage for resold items is captured in this stream.

Donations collected from SCRAM (our student move out program) and food donations collected from

Housing & Food Services cafes and dining locations are also captured in this stream.

2016 OVERALL RECYCLING STREAMS

HISTORICAL TREND OF RECYCLING STREAMS

The graph below shows the historical trend of the various material streams and how they impact our

overall waste diversion. Not surprisingly, food waste and organics has really been driving our success.

Landfill 4405.73

Combined Fiber 1149.06

Wood/Landscape Debris …

Food Waste 1382.68

Construction Waste 1122.13

Mixed Recyclables 1277.10

Recycled Special Waste 334.91

Surplus & Donations 1148.56

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 FY2010 FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016

Tons

Surplus & Donations 1,148.56

Recycling Special Waste 334.91

Mixed Recyclables 1,277.10

Construction Waste 1,122.13

Food Waste 1,382.68

Wood & Landscape Debris 936.89

Landfill 4,405.73

Combined Fiber 1,149.06

Construction & Demolition

15%

Organics 32%

Mixed Recyclables

17%

Recycled Special Waste

4%

Combined Fiber16%

Surplus& Donations

16%

FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

https://stars.aashe.org/




HIGHLIGHT: PROCESS IMPROVEMENT WITH STREAMS LAUNCH

UWRecyclingpartneredwithUW-ITtocreateanewapplication,knownasStreams,tobetterconnect

theiradministrativeofficetocrewmembersinthefield.Throughsmartphonesandtablets,Streams

enables UW Recycling employees across campus to access their collection routes online and log changes

that occur throughout their day. The development of the program began in January 2015.

Theprevioussystem,knownasWheels,wascreatedin1997andnolongerofferedstrongusability.

Since replacing Wheels, the crew is now able to log billable start and end times on the job. They can

alsoentercomments,photosandupdatesaboutspecificworkrequests,andultimately,communicate

moreefficiently.

Thepreviousworkflowprocesswasextensive.Customeremailsweremanuallyenteredintothesystem,

scheduled, and then printed out as work orders to distribute to multiple people within the department.

Oncethesejobcardswerereturnedtotheadministrativeoffice,theprogramcoordinatorhadto

manually mark it both in Excel and Wheels.

Infiscalyear2014,atotalofnearly4,000sheetsofpaperwereusedthroughouttheworkflowprocess.

An average of 103 minutes per month were spent entering vendor requests in Wheels, and service

requests could take up to 30 seconds to log. After Streams was implemented, the log time was cut

down to only eight seconds.

The administrative team also wanted to give crew members access in real time to route information and

job changes. Streams funnels work orders and requests that are made by phone, email, or through an

online form. UW Recycling crew members are able to see job details and route information while in the

field.Oncetherouteiscomplete,it’srecordedinoneclick.Virtuallynopaperisinvolved.

TheadministrativeteamfirstdemoedtheapplicationinJune2015.TheteamgavefeedbacktoUW-ITand

changesweremadeupuntillate2015.InternaltrainingforStreamsstartedinAugust2015,and

theUWRecyclingstaffvotedontheirfinalapplogosoonafter.Phaseoneofthesystemofficiallywent

live on November 2, 2015.

PhasetwoofStreamslaunchedinApril2016andallowedcustomerstousetheirUWNetIDtofillout

onlinerequestforms,viewthestatusoftheirrequests/history,andmakechangesoraddservicesto

previousrequests.Byallowingediting-accessonforms(ratherthanstartfromscratch),customersare

nowabletosaveasignificantamountoftime.

UWRecyclingvehiclesintheW-40Northlakeparkinglot.


HIGHLIGHT: GLOVE RECYCLING PILOT

UW Recycling and UW Sustainability collaborated to pilot a glove recycling program, sponsored by the

Campus Sustainability Fund. Nine labs participated, which include four from Molecular Engineering

andSciences(MolES),andfivefromMaterialsScienceandEngineering(MuellerHall).

Duringthepilot,non-hazardousgloveswerecollectedinlabsafteruseandsentbacktotheir

manufacturer,Kimberly-Clark.Oncereceived,theusedglovesarethenbrokendownintopellets

so they can be made into other products, such as park benches.

With volunteers from EcoReps, two waste audits were conducted to compare how many gloves would

bedivertedfromlandfills;onebeforethepilotbeganandoneafter.Thewasteauditpriortotheglove

recyclingprogramdemonstratedthat23%ofthelabwastesenttothelandfillweregloves—morethan

anyotheritem.Bytheendofthequarter,only7%ofmaterialsenttothelandfillweregloves,whichis

an impressive reduction in waste.

RecyclebinsforgloverecyclingprovidedbyRightCyclebyKimberly-ClarkProfessional


HIGHLIGHT: REVISED FOOD WASTE ESTIMATE

The majority of our food waste tonnage data is not based on actual measured weights, but an estimation

using a volume to weight conversion factor. The volume to weight ratio of our reported food waste

tonnagewasestablishedin2004byourcontractedvendor,CedarGrove,whenourfoodwasteprogram

wasfirstimplemented.Asaresultoftherapidexpansionoffoodwastecollectiononcampussincethat

time,thecompositionofthefoodwastestreamattheUWhaschanged.In2004,theonlycompostable

materialbeingcollectedwasheavyvegetativefoodscrapsandcoffeegrounds.Whilefoodscrapsarestill

being collected, the food waste stream now consists mainly of lightweight materials, such as compostable

serviceware,to-gopackagingandrestroompapertowels.Despitethechangesincomposition,the

reportedcomposttonnagewasstillestimatedusingthevolumetoweightratioestablishedin2004,

which impacts the accuracy of food waste data we have been using to report our waste diversion success.

Realizing that our food waste estimate was outdated, UW Recycling took the initiative to conduct a route

audit in November of 2015 in order to ascertain the true weight of compostable materials being collected

from campus. What we found is the new food waste estimate is much lower than the established

estimate in use at the time. UW Recycling was using the estimate of 350 pounds per cubic yard. However,

the new estimate came to 137 pounds per cubic yard, which is only 39% of the old weight estimate.

The updated food waste estimate caused our overall waste diversion rate to decrease. To understand

theimpactofthisnewestimate,werecalculatedthereportedfoodwastetonnagecollectedduringfiscal

year 2015 and found that our waste diversion rate would have been 61% (rather than 66%), had the

appropriate weight estimate been applied. The updated weight estimate has been utilized in all food

wastedatareportingbeginningJuly1,2015orthestartoffiscalyear2016.Thus,anydecreasesin

overall waste diversion was likely a result of this new, more accurate food waste estimate.

UWRecyclingstaffworkingduringaresidencehalltrashsort.

TON

S

IMPACT ON FOOD WASTE TONNAGE CALCULATIONS

FISCAL YEAR 2015


International Paper

InternationalPaperprovidescollectionandprocessingofcombinedfiber.ThecontractwithInternational

Paper began in June 2005 and had an initial term of three years, with renewable extensions up to eight

years.InternationalPaperalsocollectsandrecyclesplasticfilm.

Magnum Print Solutions

Magnum Print Solutions, the largest toner remanufacturer in the Northwest, has redesigned the toner

cartridgemanufacturingprocessbyoptimizingpackagingdesignandrecyclingeffortstominimizewaste

and maximize cartridge component reuse. This vendor collects toner cartridges from campus for

refurbishment or recycling.

Printer Cartridge Recycling

PrinterCartridgeRecyclingprovidescollectionandrecyclingofprinter/copiercartridgesandcomponents,

including fuser drums, imaging units, and transfer rollers.

Styro Recycle

Styro Recycle provides collection, processing and recycling of Styrofoam blocks, peanuts, boxes and

large pieces.

Total Reclaim

Total Reclaim provides collection and recycling of batteries, electronics, computers, monitors, peripherals

and other materials, including refrigerant gases and white goods. The University attached itself to Wash-

ingtonState’selectronicscontractinfiscalyear2010.

Waste Management

WasteManagement(WM)providescollectionanddisposalofmunicipalsolidwasteandtreatedbio-

medical waste, hauling and disposal of sharps, and collection and processing of recyclables. WM collects

frombuildingsandfacilitiesthatgeneratelargevolumesofwasteand/orrecyclables,includingresidence

halls and dining facilities, Magnuson Health Sciences Center, Facilities Maintenance and Construction

tradeshopsandcampusindustrialyards.WMalsoprovidesserviceduringspecialcleanoutorreno-

vationprojects,forlarge-scalespecialeventsincludingHuskyFootball,andwhenalocationrequires

regular weekend service, such as the University of Washington Medical Center. The contract with Waste

ManagementbeganinJanuary2009andhasatermofsix-and-a-halfyears,withrenewableextensions

up to six years.

COLLECTION SERVICES

TwotypesofcollectionservicesareprovidedattheUniversityofWashington:self-haulandvendor-

provided. The type of service provided depends on the amount and type of material generated.

Self-Haul Service

UWRecyclingcrewmemberscollectrecyclablesandwasteinUniversity-ownedcollectionvehiclesfrom

theloadingdocksofmostcentralcampusbuildingsthataccommodate96-gallontotersor2-yard

dumpsters. The materials are transferred to designated recycling and waste disposal sites within the

City of Seattle.

Vendor-Provided Service

All other service on campus is provided by vendors. Contracted vendors provide service for waste

andrecycling,organics,combinedfiber,electronics,fluorescentlighting,andsharpsandbio-

hazardouswaste.Non-contractedvendorsprovideserviceforelectronicmediaandsmallpersonal

electronics,printer/copiercartridgesandcomponents,andStyrofoam.Clickonthefollowingvendor

namesformoreinformation:

Cedar Grove

Cedar Grove provides collection and composting of organics, including food waste and compostable

serviceware,cleanwood/palletsandlandscapedebris.ThecontractwithCedarGrovebeganinJanuary

2009andhasatermofsix-and-a-halfyears,withrenewableextensionsuptosixyears.

EcoLights

EcoLightsisachildcompanyofTotalReclaimandprovidescollectionandrecyclingoffluorescentlighting.

TheUniversityattacheditselftoWashingtonState’sfluorescentlightingcontractinfiscalyear2010.

Friendly Earth

FriendlyEarthprovidescollectionandrecyclingofnon-confidentialelectronicmedia,includingCDs,DVDs,

videotapes, small personal electronics, and electronic accessories including power cords, hard drives

and chargers.

Greendisk

Greendiskprovidescollectionandrecyclingofnon-confidentialelectronicmedia,includingCDs,DVDs,

and videotapes, small personal electronics, and electronic accessories including power cords, hard drives,

and chargers.

http://www.internationalpaper.com/US/EN/

http://magnumlaser.com/

http://www.styrorecycle.com/

http://www.totalreclaim.com/

http://www.wmnorthwest.com

https://cedar-grove.com/

http://www.ecolights.com/

http://www.friendlyearth.org/

http://www.greendisk.com/


PROGRAM COSTS ThesuccessoftheUWRecyclingprogramisdueprimarilytothefinancialcommitmentofthe

Universityinprovidingfundingforhiringandmaintainingappropriatestaffinglevels,leasingand

operatingcollectionvehicles,purchasingequipmentandsupplies,andinvestinginimprovedinfra-

structure so waste, recycling, and compost collection containers are purchased and placed in the most

effectivelocations.

*UWRecyclingpaysfordisposalfortheentireUniversity,includingdepartmentsthathaveself-sustainingbudgetsthatbeartheirportionofcosts.UWRecyclingrecoversthecostsforself-sustainingdepartmentsbyrechargingthesecostsbacktothedepartments.Infiscalyear2016,totalrechargestoself-sustainingUniversitydepartments for waste, recycling, and compost collection and disposal were $1,189,500.31 and are factored into the expenditures.

FY16 EXPENDITURES

Salaries $576,410

Vehicles/Fuel $108,071

Self-HaulDisposal $113,602

Other $59,998

Supplies $101,475

Equipment $65,701

WasteManagement $1,046,813

Styro Recycle $2,825

Total Reclaim $32,253

EcoLights $22,290

InternationalPaper $30,580

CedarGrove $453,530

Total Expenditures: $2,613,549

FY16 REVENUE

Paper Recycling ($51,281)

MetalRecycling ($24,794)

Toner Cartridge Recycling ($2,831)

Rechargeable Work Orders ($110,895)

Total Revenue ($189,801)

FY2016 Total Budget* ($2,423,748)

UWRecycling’swarehousespacewithSerives

BeginningtheconstructionofnewUWRecyclingwarehousespace.


FY16 STAFF13StaffMembers(13FTE)

MANAGERIAL & ADMINISTRATIVE Assistant Director (1 FTE)Program Coordinators (3 FTE)*Communications Manager (1 FTE)

OPERATIONSProgram Operations Manager (1 FTE) Truck Lead (1 FTE)Waste Collectors (3 FTE)Litter Collectors (2 FTE)

WAREHOUSEDriver/WarehouseWorker(1FTE)

VEHICLESRear-loadwasteandrecyclingcompactionvehicles(3)Box truck (1)Utility pickup trucks (3)

VENDORSWasteandRecycling:WasteManagementOrganics:CedarGroveCombinedFiber:InternationalPaperElectronicsandWhiteGoods:TotalReclaimFluorescentLighting:EcoLightse.Media:FriendlyEarth and GreendiskCartridgesandComponents:MagnumPrintSolutions and Printer Cartridge RecyclingStyrofoam:StyroRecycle *OneprogramcoordinatorissharedwithoursisteroperationalunitwithinBuildingServicesDepartment,CustodialServices.

PROGRAM OPERATIONS

MembersofUWRecyclingteamposewithRecycleroftheYear,HigherEducationawardfromtheWashingtonStateRecyclersAssociation

THANK YOU

UW Recycling thanks the University’s students, faculty, staff and community partners for their commitment

to the environment, willingness to recycle, and support of the program. It is through everyone’s collective

efforts that the University of Washington has achieved such great success.

http://www.wmnorthwest.com

https://cedar-grove.com/

http://www.internationalpaper.com/US/EN/

http://www.totalreclaim.com/

http://www.ecolights.com/

http://www.friendlyearth.org/

http://magnumlaser.com/

http://www.styrorecycle.com/


LOOKING AHEAD: PRIORITIES FOR THE YEAR TO COME

Thisupcomingyear,oureffortswillbeacontinuedfocusonminimizingtheamountoffoodwasteandrecyclingthatisstillgettingthrowninthetrash,andreduceoverallcontaminationamongstallwastestreams.Wehopetodothisthroughcontinuededucationaloutreach,infrastructuralimprovements,andinnovativeprogramming.

Educational Outreach

• IncreasepromotionoftheRecyclingRoadshow—apresentationthatprovidesrecyclingandcompost

educationdirectlytothecampuscommunity—andTrashTalk,ouroutreacheventdedicatedsolelyto

recycling and composting awareness. A group we would like to engage is the Facilities Services shops,

as they handle a large array of recyclable material.

• Continue to foster the development of the student driven RecycleMania planning committee

toincreasecampus-widepromotionofandparticipationinthenationalrecyclingcompetition.

WewanttocontinuetoleadPac-12schoolsinoverallrecyclingandincreaseourrankingamong

universities nationwide.

• Continue to improve and update educational materials and signage by collaborating with campus

partners,withaspecificfocusonthedevelopmentofarecyclingguideforfirstyearstudentsand

residentsofon-campushousing.

Infrastructural Improvements

• Promote our updated Facilities Services Design Guidelines to ensure the new types of bins and waste

stations we have invested in become the standard for new and renovated buildings on campus. The

FacilitiesServicesDesignGuidelineswereoriginallycreatedin2009andinfiscalyear2016we

updatedittoreflectcurrentstandardsandestablishuniformityforouroverallwastecollection

system on campus. Our goal is to have equipment that matches our current waste stream and helps

keep us in compliance with city ordinances.

• ExpandourcollaborationwithHousing&FoodServicesstaffandstudentstoincreasecompost

collection in the residence halls with a key focus on the apartments. We hope to continue our

compostbindistributionprogramfortheapartmentsbybeingon-sitewhenstudentsmoveinand

handing out kitchen countertop compost bin as well as accompanying educational material on the

what, why and how of compost. Our focus is primarily placed on the apartments since they are

independent living, which requires students to more directly manage and dispose of their waste than

students living in the other traditional residence halls.

• ContinuetopromoteMiniMax,ourself-service,desk-sidewastecollectionsystem.Ourgoalforfiscal

year2017istohave65%ofcampusbuildingsconvertedtoMiniMaxbytheendofthefiscalyear.

Innovative Programming

• Pilot a glove recycling program within Building Services Department.

AstudentplaysawastediversiongameduringtheRecycleManiakickoffeventonRedSquare.

19.9%

9.4%

8.2%

% collected for recycling

% collected for compost

% estimated compost sent to landfill

% estimated garbage sent to landfill

% estimated recycling sent to landfill

37.5% sent to landfill

44.4% recycled

18.1% composted

Total Annual UW Waste

sent to landfill

*estimates based on Trash-In 2012 Report

TOTAL ANNUAL UW WASTE

27 UW Recycling

BUILDING SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Gene Woodard, Director

UW RECYCLING MANAGERIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Emily Newcomer, Assistant DirectorDean Seaman, Program Operations Manager Erica Bartlett, MiniMax Project CoordinatorLiz Gignilliat, Program CoordinatorJessica Lisiewski, Program CoordinatorAllison Nitch, Communications Manager

UW RECYCLING OPERATIONAL CREWDavid Gipe, Litter Collector Ben Henkel, Waste CollectorEd Lyle, Waste CollectorPhongPham,Driver/WarehouseWorkerSteve Smith, Waste CollectorDavid Speed, Waste CollectorDon Sutherland, Litter Collector

PREPARED BY

UW Recycling 3900 Seventh Avenue NE, Third Floor, Seattle, WA 98195(206)685-2811/www.uwrecycling.com/[email protected]

EDITOR

Liz Gignilliat and Audrey Taber

COVER PHOTO CREDIT

Katherine B. Turner

DESIGN & LAYOUT

Allison Nitch

STATISTICS

Jessica Lisiewski

http://www.uwrecycling.com

mailto:[email protected]


uw recycling annual report 2016 · 1000 tons due in large part to the revised food waste estimate...

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