No Waste…No Way!?

Seminar in Sustainable DesignJohn Ellis

Consultants: Bahar Armaghani, Albert Krause, Melissa Stuckey

NO NO YES

Project Outline

University of Florida background information.

- Historical Data

- Waste Management System Breakdown

Case Studies

- Flinders University

- Washington State University

- University of Colorado at Boulder

- Michigan State University

- Massey University (Palmerston North, New Zealand)

My Proposal

Conclusion

UF Background Information

For years, the University of Florida has been researching a wide variety of materials and processes which have been focused on the reduction of non-recoverable waste.

The University has also been engaged with research regarding the reduction of waste and lowering operation costs.

Progress toward a Zero Waste UF has been made, but not solved. Natural gas was considered, but is now too costly. The UAA decided to create a Zero Waste initiative, in 2004, for UF football games. The luxury seating section was chosen for its ease of control. A compostable waste stream has been established by using all bio-degradable materials

and separating out cans, glass and plastics.

- Materials list: Fiber plates, Heavy weight silverware, Paper cups and

Biodegradable bags The additional cost amounts to $5,000 per season, with no additional labor cost.

Historical Data

Waste quantities for the University of Florida from 1988-2004.

1988- In 1988 the total landfill disposal amount was approximately 12.25 thousand

tons, with 7 thousand of those tons coming from garbage.- In 1988 the University dumped approximately ¾ of that amount into in-house landfills and contracted out the remainder.- In 1988 UF recycled approximately 17% of recyclable material, with yard

waste leading the way at 2 thousand tons.

2004- In 2004 the total landfill disposal amount was approximately 11.25 thousand

tons, with a little over 5 thousand of those tons coming from garbage.- In 2004 the University dumped ½ of that amount into in-house landfills and contracted out the other ½.- In 2004 UF recycled approximately 36.5% of recyclable material, with yard

waste leading the way at 3 thousand tons.

This data tells me that over time, UF has taken advantage of recycling opportunities, reduced its overall waste totals, but is beginning to fill its in-house landfills and is paying an increasing annual amount for shipping their waste to other locations.

Waste Management System Breakdown

Recycling Aide

Recycling & Bulk RefuseCollection

Refuse TruckOperator

Refuse TruckOperator

Refuse TruckOperator

Refuse Crew Chief

Refuse & SpecialCollection Services

OrganicStaff

Grounds Department

Yard Waste& Special Support

EnvironmentalHealth & Safety Div.

HazardousMaterial Support

Building Services Dept.

Interior Collection& Labor Support

UF Property Services

Salvage &Electronics Disposals

County & StateAgencies

Advice & Assistance

Contractors

Collection, Processing& Disposal Support

SupportingOrganizations

Solid W aste Coordinator

CLIENTS

Solid Waste Organization

According to this diagram, one way to cut down the total amount of waste to the landfills is to get the blue sections to change their color to orange.

Waste Management System BreakdownRubbish

According to this diagram, there is no current system that UF is using to recycle or reuse this type of waste. The current system is a direct channel to the landfill and must be altered.

Local C&D Landfillor

Transfer Station

Roll-Off Container(Contracted)

Trash CrewUF Refuse Sectionwith Pickup Truck

(1-man)

Local C&D Landfillor

Transfer Station

Construction CrewUFGrounds Department

with Loaders/Dump Trucks)(Special Situations)

Curbside(For UF Pickup)

Local C&D Landfillor

Transfer Station

Roll-Off Container(Contracted)

User Site

Waste Management System BreakdownGargage

According to this diagram, the Universities garbage is in a closed-loop cycle with contracted landfills. In order to reduce the amounts presented earlier, better recycling methods need to be implemented.

LINED LANDFILL(NEAR RAIFORD)

Transfer Station(Alachua County)

Front-Loader Trucks(UF-Operated)

Dumpsters

Roll-Off Trucks(Contracted)

LINED LANDFILL(NEAR RAIFORD)

Transfer Station(Alachua County)

Compactors

Custodians& Grounds Keepers

Trash Bins(Indoor/Outdoor)

CLIENTS

Case Studies

Flinders University (Population: 13,500)

Flinders University hosted a “Zero Waste Event” that held 60,000 people. The participants were asked to separate their waste into either a “compostables” or a “recyclables” bin. They were also encouraged to take any other waste home because general waste bins were not provided. The event was audited by the University to observe the abilities of the participants to separate their own waste properly. Event waste typically consists of food scraps, cardboard plates and cups, corn starch and wooden cutlery, and biodegradable plastic beer cups. The University is trying different methods for event waste including in-vessel treatment and static composting piles. They are also planning to try worm farming for food composting.

This event was a test to see if the citizens were capable of separating their own waste as well as an information session to the community about the concepts behind Zero Waste.

Case Studies

Washington State University (Population: 23,000)

Washington State University derived a checklist for hosting a Zero Waste Event. This checklist suggests planning the event and menu around the concept of sustainability.

- Use food items that are less of a mess to avoid using more cleaning products. Use unbleached and/or recycled-content plates, paper cups and napkins at your local grocery

store (by-products of chlorine create chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, immune system damage and other health problems).

Inform attendees that the event is a Zero-Waste Event. Invite them to participate by recycling and composting their leftover items.

Use labeled paper bags or buckets to collect the food, biodegradable utensils, paper products and liquids. Use marked recycling containers to collect aluminum cans, plastic bottles and other recyclables (only one container for these items is necessary). Place these containers in visible areas and hide all garbage cans.

All of these items are commonsense, but need to be taught to the public.

Case Studies

University of Colorado at Boulder (Population: 30,000)

The University of Colorado at Boulder has implemented an event recycling system The University has been recycling at home games since 1994. CU also collected over 17 tons of computers and peripherals during the three day event.

 An additional 2.9 tons were tested, secured, and bundled for donation to national and international community development organizations.

CU took an interesting approach to a certain aspect of recycling.

Case Studies

Michigan State University (Population: 40,000)

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (external site), packaging makes up nearly 30 percent of all waste in landfills.

The University suggested to:

- Avoid single-serve items. These are usually way over-packaged.

- Buy products in bulk form. It's usually cheaper in the long run. And you can sometimes reuse your container over and over again. Be mindful of products that claim to be in bulk form, but are actually just packaged single serve items...you'll end up with more waste.

- Reuse your own bags when shopping. It is estimated that shoppers use nearly 40 billion bags* each year...many only used once. If you reuse your grocery bags, you'll help cut that number down. You may even consider purchasing durable cloth bags for use.

MSU took advantage of the fact that most of their students commute to school by offering suggestions on how to reduce waste in their own house, trying to alter their perception of waste.

Case Studies

Massey University (Population: 40,000)

Massey academy was established as a Zero Waste Academy, one of only two in the world. The academy is part of an initiative led by the University and the Zero Waste Trust New Zealand. It will develop education and training resources, develop quality standards for zero waste practice

and co-ordinate zero waste knowledge and practice in this part of the world. Its activities will include helping local government develop comprehensive recycling and waste

management programmes and will provide opportunities for postgraduate research through the University.

Palmerston North Principal Professor Rao Bhamidimarri says zero waste is not a goal that can be achieved overnight.

“It’s a bit like 100 percent efficiency. Nothing is 100 percent efficient, but we can aim to be as close as we can get.”

Massey University, which is located in New Zealand, is following in their countries footsteps.

My Proposal

My proposal for the University is to adopt a campus wide biodegradable system, more stringent recycling methods and more feasible waste collection techniques.

I believe that a Zero Waste event, educating the student population, would be the first order of business.

More feasible waste collection techniques can be applied through the use of the student population, allowing them to separate waste materials according to rules that are set forth by the University.

The biodegradable system that is suggested will be based off of the findings from the luxury seating experiment. These materials shall be more organic in origin, making disposal easier for the University, as well as the Environment.

I also believe that the University should implement some, if not all of the practices that the previously mentioned case studies discuss.

These implementations, along with advancements in thought and technology, will help the University of Florida to get closer to its goal of Zero Waste.

The End