University of Wisconsin-River Falls
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Not Applicable

The waste generation baseline was adopted for the year 2013 due to improved tracking of waste generation by UWRF. Data prior to 2013 did not truly reflect the actual tonnages of waste produced.

UWRF also recycles lead acid batteries, rechargeable batteries, and dry cell batteries.

UWRF employed a student intern during the spring 2016 semester who focused on waste minimization. He analyzed our current collection processes, what other campuses have done, and conducted a survey out to all UWRF faculty, staff, and students. He then collected that data and made proposals for how we could improve our refuse and recycling collections. The internship resulted in 2 pilot projects. One of them focused on a different bin system in offices which was implemented in the Wyman Education Building during the Fall 2016 semester. The other pilot project focused on classrooms and public areas and was piloted in all of South Hall and on 2nd and 3rd floors KFA. Both projects included new bin setups, labels on the containers, new signage for above the containers, and documentation that went out to faculty and staff in the affected areas explaining the changes. Both of these pilot projects resulted in increased recycling participation and less cross contamination. As additional funds become available, these projects will be expanded to other areas of campus. UWRF also participates in the RecycleMania competition each year.

Waste audits occurred as part of the waste minimization internship during the spring 2016 semester. Additionally, in the Environmental Sustainability class (ESM 220) students are asked to conduct a modified waste assessment in campus buildings and a short survey of campus-members about waste and recycling habits. Students choose a building on campus and visually inspect the trash and recycling containers throughout the building. They note the types of materials most commonly found in receptacles, the percentage of "contamination" in each container (i.e. Trash in the recycling containers and recycling in the trash containers), and the informational materials provided to guide users as they decide which container is most appropriate for their waste disposal. These audits have led to changes in bin locations and styles, signage improvements, and changes to when dumpsters are serviced.

UWRF houses a surplus department and office supplies exchange program and provides those for use by other departments. Regular online auctions and monthly sales are provided to campus and the wider community comprising all collected items (including electronics). All items are offered at no charge to departments before being sold to the general public. https://www.uwrf.edu/Sustainability/SurplusPropertyProgram/Index.cfm

PaperCut is a print management software used on campus to manage printing. PaperCut allows students and staff to print from any computer, tablet, or phone connected to the internet as well as from university computer labs and kiosks. One of the primary aims of PaperCut is to reduce printing levels by changing a user's printing behavior. Implementing monitoring, quotas and charging are a good way of drawing a user's attention to their habits. The default setting on PaperCut printers is duplex printing. Over the course of summer 2016, the Division of Technology Services completed a campus printing upgrade project which was a university-wide project with set goals to increase overal effectiveness of printing campus wide, decrease duplicated equipment expenses, provide for predictable supported repair costs, and provide a tool for departments to manage their printing costs by leveraging higher-grade and efficient equipment with an ultimate goal of saving the university money.

UWRF course registration is done online and the course catalog is available exclusively online. The campus directory is available online, although it is also provided in hardcopy format to faculty and staff by request.

Facilities provides recycling dumpsters for move-in and move-out days. Joan Mayen volunteers and oversees the "Don't Throw it, Donate It" program supported by the Office of Sustainability And Residence Life. The program runs the weekend before finals through student move out and provides a conduit for students to donate a large amount of food, clothes, furnishings, and other accessories to local charities instead of throwing it out. The May 2016 totals include: Food: 845 pounds Clothing: 2,161 items Personal Misc: 216 items Electronics: 58 items Books/DVDs/CDs: 180 items School Supplies: 306 items Household Misc: 2,181 items

For 2016, Bill Connolly, UWRF Farm Director, reports 200 yards of compost were sold, while an additional 650 yards of compost were put back onto the farm fields (a total of 850 cubic yards of compost). The compost consists mainly of wood shavings and cornstalk animal bedding as well as solid manure. The Farm employs windrow/aerobic composting. It was sold to the public at $32/yard (2016 price). Joe McIntosh reports also that 120 cubic yards of yard waste is collected annually from campus grounds as reported in our Annual Recycling report. Together, the information from the farm and from the grounds department is 970 cubic yards. Using a conversion chart with the assumption of 4 cubic yards/ton (clippings, leaves, and brush), it would equate to 242.5 tons of material composted in 2016. At the Campus Farm ~70% of the Horse manure with sawdust bedding is reused at the Mann Valley Farm as bedding for the livestock enterprises. This decreases the amount of bedding the MVF needs to purchase. Eventually the bedding and manure is either field spread for crop nutrient uptake or composted and sold. From Mark Klapatch: Materials Recycled includes: Single Stream recyclables, batteries, scrap metal, computer and e-waste, pallets (40 pounds/unit), tires (20 pounds per unit), used oil filters (450 pounds per 55 gallon drum), appliances (Weight determined by using calculator found at http://www.lewis-mcchord.army.mil/jppso/Weight_Estimator.htm), pcb ballasts (8 pounds per unit). Due to the various sizes and styles as well as the large quantity, we do not include the weight of recycled light bulbs in this number. However, we did recycle 5,619 fluorescent light bulbs and 251 incandescent and HID light bulbs in 2016. We also do not include materials recycled that are reported in gallons due to the difficulties tracking the information and then finding a uniform conversion. In 2016, those items include photographic fixer (45 gallons), used oil (275 gallons), and veggie oil (450 gallons). We also do not include the beneficial reuse of the heating plant coal ash which was about 57 tons for 2016. 2013 Baseline year data for materials reused, donated, or sold was updated from the 2013 report to create a consistent process for data collection that will be used from now on. Mark Klapatch and Nate Beeman maintain an excel spreadsheet that will convert the data to tons consistently. We do not include items reissued back to campus as that would appear we are generating more items. Instead, we are just moving items around. In 2016, approximately 9,700 pounds worth of furniture were reused on campus rather than sold through surplus. We also do not include materials donated through the end of the year move out collection program in the residence halls as that is not campus generated items.