PRESS RELEASES

Contact: Jack DeBell/CU Recycling Director (303) 492-8307
Marianne Martin/Environmental Center Assistant Director (303) 492-8308
November 10, 2004

CU Celebrates America Recycles Day

America Recycles Day is Monday, November 15

BOULDER, November 10, 2004 — America Recycles Day is a nation-wide, annual event with the goal of encouraging Americans to recycle and to buy recycled products, and to bring awareness the social, environmental, and economic benefits of recycling, and CU is joining in the celebration!

The America Recycles Day theme this year, "It All Comes Back to You" was designed to present multiple messages:  that a recycled product or material can return to consumers as another new product;  that recycling comes back to consumers as improved environment, preservation of resources and economic well-being of the country; and that it is up to everyone to recycle.

America Recycles 2004 maintains a website at www.americarecyclesday.org where you can go for information about events, to sign an online pledge to recycle and to learn more about this year's nation-wide campaign.

Here at home, CU Recycling has some exciting projects underway designed to boost participation and increase materials recovered.

Recycling is working at CU:

Since 1976, CU has developed a practical, cost-effective recycling program. About thirty percent of all campus waste is recycled, saving CU over $235,000 annually.

University administrators and recycling staff are concluding a study on the future of recycling at CU. Research indicates the campus could potentially double its recycling rate by composting its food waste and creating more recycling opportunities. Many of these improvements can be done less expensively than landfilling.

In addition to avoided costs approaching one-quarter of a million dollars annually, recycling has enormous environmental benefits as well. The 1,400 tons that will be recycled from CU-Boulder this year will save the equivalent of 18,000 40-foot trees, seven million gallons of water, and over 2,700 barrels of oil. In addition, over 40 jobs are created and numerous academic opportunities are offered each year.

Recycling Improvements in the Residence Halls:

After conducting a gap analysis to determine where residence halls are lacking basic recycling services, CU Recycling announces the addition of 17 new interior recycling stations and 17 exterior bins. Each office in the residence halls will also receive deskside recycling service for office pak and newspaper.

The intent of these improvements, along with CU Recycling’s continuing outreach effort, is to increase recycling participation and to boost the diversion rate – the amount of waste actually recovered for recycling and diverted out of the landfill. Presently, the diversion rate in the halls ranges from 6 percent to 20 percent.

New Resource Recovery Stations being installed at CU:

CU Recycling announces, in conjunction with America Recycles Day, that 17 additional “resource recovery stations” are currently being installed in high-traffic locations and bus stops around the CU campus.

Resource recovery stations are the black outdoor recycling bin clusters for co-mingled containers and newspapers, and are serviced by Facilities Management Grounds crews.

This addition brings the total number of stations to 25 around campus. Eight stations were installed three years ago.

These stations are funded by the UCSU recycling capital improvements account and the transportation improvements account.

Visual display shows students’ recycling potential:

A 3-dimensional display will be installed on the Hellems Lawn on America Recycles Day – Monday, November 15 – depicting the potential amounts of recyclable materials an average CU student generates in a typical week, month and semester. The largest display on Hellems Lawn will show the amount of recyclables a student generates in an academic year.

Every day, the average American generates 4.4 pounds of solid waste. Of that solid waste, 2.4 pounds per person per day – or 55 percent – can be recycled!  The average recycling rate is 1.3 pounds per person per day. In a week, the average student can recycle 16.5 pounds of materials, including 13 pounds of paper and 3.5 pounds of commingled containers. In a month, 66 pounds of materials, including 52.5 pounds of paper and 13.5 pounds of commingled containers, can be recycled. And over a complete academic year, each student has the potential to recycle 496 pounds of materials – 394 pounds of paper and 102 pounds of commingled containers.

“Every person who walks by the display can realize what their impact can be if they see how much of their waste can be recycled. It adds up for each person after 4 years of college and it adds up for all 32,041 enrolled CU students every day, “ said Sarah Engel, recycling outreach assistant.

CU-Boulder recycles one-third of its waste and saves $235,000 annually through everyone's recycling efforts.  It really does add up and makes a difference environmentally and economically.  We Need to C.U. Recycling!

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: This display can be viewed on Hellems Lawn on Monday, November 15 – America Recycles Day – from Monday to Wednesday. Staff will be present with information from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Recycling at football games:

With only one home game left for the CU Buffs, CU Recycling has collected and recycled 5,806 pounds of commingled containers and 1,856 pounds of cardboard at the home football games.

“We are very pleased that our efforts were able to make such an environmental impact,” said Scott Davis, CU Recycling’s special events manager. “This is definitely turning out to be a winning season for Team Recycling.”

Thank you to all Buff fans for a great job recycling this football season.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: CU Recycling crews can again be seen working hard before, during and after the Saturday, November 13 home game against Kansas State. Recycling stations are set up outside each gate, and weather permitting, on Franklin Field for tailgating. Game time is 12:30 pm.

Recycling contest in the residence halls:

During the month of November, in conjunction with America Recycles Day on Monday, November 15, CU Recycling is holding a recycling contest between the residence halls and family housing courts.
The contest will reward those halls which recycle the most overall, along with those that show the most improvement over last year’s weights. Winners and losers of the contest will both receive environmentally-oriented prizes.

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