Post on 31-Dec-2015
transcript
Recycling in the SL DistrictAn overview of an Internship Project
Dina FreedmanGEOG 695012.13.11
Pop Quiz
• How much trash do we each generate a day?
• 4 lbs
• How much garbage in the curbside trash bins in SL county do you think is recyclable? (%)
•Audits found up to 60%– From greenfiber.com and ksl.com
The Problem
• School recycling was at 50%• No formal program• Calculations had previously not been made to
show the improvements from recycling– Cost reduction/Savings– Environmental Improvements (CO2)– Trash Reduction (quantity)
Previous Work
• SLD is considered Energy Star Leader by the EPA (Press Release, 2011)
• 50% of the schools were recycling mixed materials• Successful implementation of paper recycling at 40+ tons a
month
Deficiencies/Problems
• Custodial pushback of “too much work”• Administration roadblocks/confusion• Lack of student green teams/participation
Problem Questions
• How do we decrease the amount of trash removal and increase the amount of recyclable material?
• Why isn’t every school involved?• What are the obstacles?– Perceived workload– All schools haven’t been reached yet– Time to work with schools/parents/admin
Methods
• Use existing data on price and volume– Cost savings & projections
• Survey administered to collect opinions and ideas– Custodial, administrative, kitchen staff
• Network with schools to communicate benefits of recycling
• Donor meetings/proposals
Deliverables/Methods • A “Best Practices Guide”• Increased school participation• Administered surveys
63%8%
25%
4%
Bag use at cafeteria recycling schools
Fewer Bags Used
Not Using Fewer Bags
Same Amount
Don’t Know
Figure 1: A sample of the survey data from The Custodial Survey. Question in regards to trash bag usage.
Model
• The district wished to have a prediction model– Cost– Volume– Changes– CO2– Weight
Weekly Total 2009 Weekly Total 2011$1,500.00
$2,000.00
$2,500.00
$3,000.00
Weekly Cost Trend
Time (Years)
Figure 3: Cost savings for all 35 schools since implemented savings based on a 39 week school year.
Significance
• Recycling in schools now has more of a procedure with in the SLD
• SLD can accurately predict savings in cost, volume and CO2• Schools can use mathematical and scientific lessons • Increased student awareness/stewardship