University: Stanford University
Location: Stanford, California
Number of Students: 17,351
Number of Faculty and Staff: 11,675
Amount of paper recovered for recycling in 2008: 2972.92 tons
Grades Collected: Paper is collected in two categories: old corrugated (cardboard) containers (OCC) and mixed paper. Included in the 'mixed paper' category is office paper, old magazines (OMG), old newspapers (ONP), envelopes, hard and soft backed books, phone books, and direct mail.
Why was the program established?The recycling program was established at Stanford University in 1976 as a student project. In 1978 the program became part of the student government, the Associated Student of Stanford University, and in 1993 a partnership was formed with the university's recycling and waste hauler, Peninsula Sanitary Service, Inc., to develop a comprehensive recycling program for the entire campus community. Since 1994 Stanford University has recovered more than 40,000 tons of paper for recycling.
How is the program administered?Peninsula Sanitary Service, Inc. (PSSI) collects, processes, and markets recyclables; operates a community recycling center; and educates the campus on the 5Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle, buy-recycled, and rot).
PSSI collects old corrugated cardboard in containers that are located next to garbage dumpsters throughout the campus. Mixed paper is collected in smaller 16 gallon to 96 gallon carts located throughout the 600 buildings on campus. There are more than 3,000 collection bins for mixed paper and corrugated cardboard on campus. One frontloader truck collects corrugated cardboard from campus dumpsters five days per week. Two split-body sideloader truck s are used to collect mixed paper bins from campus buildings once a week. All material is further consolidated at PSSI before being transported to end markets. Revenue generated from the recyclables is used to offset landfill fees.
How are students, faculty, and staff educated?A variety of outreach efforts are used to educate the campus community. The University's recycling website has all of the up-to-date program information. A recycling flyer is available online for the Stanford community, and similar flyers are created for various groups and events on campus ranging from employee introduction classes to summer conferences to resident advisor training. In addition, the campus community is educated by:
- Monthly ads in the campus newspaper to encourage recycling
- Monthly waste audits provide a snapshot of what is included in the trash and what else can be recycled
- Participation in Resource Awareness Week and Earth Week
- Mt. Trashmore event demonstrates the amount of waste created on campus
- Tours of the on-campus recycling facility
- Free desktop paper collection trays
- Training for new building managers
- RecycleMania competition. The University uses this 10-week contest to communicate waste reduction and recycling best practices, and won 1st place in 2008 for recovering 1,231,012 pounds of bottles, cans, old corrugated containers, and paper for recycling.
Stanford University has created a unique partnership with its hauling company, Peninsula Sanitary Service, Inc. (PSSI) to grow its recycling program.
- PSSI hires student interns and partners with Students for Sustainable Stanford and the student Green Living Council to educate the campus community. Presentations in dorms and to academic departments provide opportunities to share information on waste reduction and recycling.
- Stanford Building & Grounds Maintenance Department, PSSI, and the campus custodian contractor have established a desk-side recycling program. The program provides a free desk-side recycling container for every faculty and academic staff member. The purpose of this program is to reduce the number of times that trash is collected and increase the number of times that the recycling is picked-up on a weekly basis.
- California Resource Recovery Association's California Collegiate Recycling Council
- National Recycling Coalition's College and University Recycling Council
Julie Muir (juliem@pssi.stanford.edu)
- In 2009 a record-high 63.4% of the paper used in the U.S. was recovered for recycling.
- Every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.
- 87 percent (268 million) of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs.
- In 2009 the amount of paper recovered for recycling averaged 325 pounds for each man, woman, and child in the United States.