&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-99-022I
October 1999
www.epa.gov/osw
University of Michigan ^_>
Ann Arbor, Michigan fj 30
30% Waste Reduction Rate from Residence Halls
Michigan law mandates a 30% waste reduction for "major waste
generators," including the University of Michigan. An enthusiastic
and involved student body, a program design that is flexible and
accommodates the needs of the collection staff and changes in
collected materials, and a very visible outreach program all
contribute to the success of the University of Michigan's student housing
recycling program, which diverts 30% of the residence hall waste.
Program Description
I he University of Michigan (U-M) is one of the
largest academic campuses in the country,
with over 36,000 students. Approximately
10,000 students live in dormitories.
Students bring recyclables to
trash/recycling closets on their floor.
Each closet contains a shelf for
corrugated cardboard and separate
containers for mixed paper and
mixed containers. Housing Facilities
staff collect trash and recyclables on
each floor of the 15 student residence
halls on campus.
Housing Facilities staff bring the
material from recycling closets to
containers on the loading dock. They
collect from the loading dock once a
week and bring materials to the nearby
city-owned material recovery facility
(MRF). Grounds Department staff collect
yard trimmings and bring them to the
city-owned compost facility.
On residence hall move-in days,
students discard large quantities of
cardboard boxes. U-M instituted
special collections for this cardboard,
and in 1997 students recycled 52 tons
of material during move-in days.
When students vacate their
dorms for the summer or at
graduation they often discard loft
wood, toiletries, furniture, carpets, food,
clothing, and other items that they cannot store
or transport. Thus, these items often ended up
in the trash. Now the University collects and
donates these materials to charitable
organizations, except for loft wood and carpet,
which are stored on campus grounds. Ann
Arbor residents are encouraged to take these
materials.
Other campus recycling efforts include:
collection of pallets, scrap wood, and metals; a
worm bin composting project; a food discard
composting trial; and recycling at the football
stadium. In addition, a Recycling Task Force
works with the U-M Purchasing Department to
utilize and sell more recycled-content products.
Outreach Activities
0
ne of the keys to program success is U-M's
active outreach efforts, which include:
Materials Collected
Mixed paper (including virtually all types
of paper: high grade, glossy stock,
mail)
Newspaper
Corrugated cardboard
Glass
#1 and #2 plastics
Aluminum
Juice boxes
Ceramics
Scrap metal
This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in Multi-
Family Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).
-------
student town meetings, training
sessions with staff, a recycling
newsletter, an email address to answer
questions (recycle.help@umich.edu), an
extensive Web page, and the
Ecolympics, a competition between
residence halls that rewards
conservation efforts. Residence hall
outreach includes displays at new
student orientations and table tents in
dining halls, presentations upon
request, and signs in residence hall
trash/recycling closets.
Turnover of the student population
is an obstacle to even higher recycling
rates. New education efforts are
needed every year.
Costs/Benefits
nen U-M's recycling program began
f in 1989, its actual total cost for
disposal from the residence halls was
$239,200 per year. The University spent
$200,000 in 1989 to modify buildings to
create recycling closets and to purchase
containers. In 1997 its total cost for
residence hall disposal and recycling was
$245,900 (including move-out day costs
of approximately $11,000 per year and
equipment pay back). Adjusting 1989
figures to 1997 dollars, the University's
total solid waste management costs for
residence halls decreased approximately
$53,800 per year. This is explained in
part by improved collection systems and
in part by avoided disposal costs
through recycling.
In spring 1998, markets for
commingled containers were poor, so
the University paid a higher tip fee at the
MRF for these materials than trash.
Tipping fees at the MRF were $2.64 per
ton for paper (newspaper, old corrugated
cardboard, mixed paper), $18.92 per ton
for commingled containers, and $17.11
per ton for trash. Although the tip fee for
containers was higher than trash, the tip
fee for mixed paper was $15 per ton less
than trash disposal. Overall, recycling
costs averaged $35 per ton while trash
costs average $48 per ton.
Tips for Replication
• Pay attention to the needs of your
collection staff; they are the most
important element in a successful
recycling system. Be open to letting
workers create systems that work for
them. Listen...listen...listen!
• Pay attention to the ergonomics of
handling. Do not be afraid to go into
debt to capitalize equipment that
improves efficiency and safety.
• Keep good records of material flow.
Keep track of costs.
• Develop good relationships with
processors of your recyclables.
Contact:
Kristin Miller
General Information
Grounds and Waste Management
University of Michigan
1110 East Huron Street
Ann Arbor, Ml 48104
(734) 763-5539 fax (734) 764-9390
Program Summary, FY97
Start Date
Buildings in Program
Type of Multi-Family Buildings
Households Served
Residents served
Total Waste Generated (Tons)
Disposed
Diverted
Total Diverted (%)
Fees per Year
Disposal
Diversion
Net Costs per HH per Year
Disposal services
Diversion services
Net Costs per Ton
Disposal services
Diversion services
September 1989
15
2- to 8-story residence halls
5,000
10,000
FY89*
(Before program)
5,750
5,750
0
0%
$299,700
$299,700
$0
$60
$60
$0
$52
$52
$0
FY97
(With program)
5,552
3,893
1,659
30%
$245,900
$187,921
$57,978
$49
$38
$12
$44
$48
$35
CD
5"
ft
en
for Local Self-Relial
_)
O>
;*;
ft
=s'
^
CD"
c
CD
<<:
o
^
=r
CD'
13
CO
CD
CD
FY = fiscal year HH = household
Note: Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.
*FY89 costs have been normalized to FY97 using the gross domestic product deflator.
------- |