Recycling Matters
Spring 1996
FEATURES:
Buy Recycled and "Close the Loop"
The University and recycled product purchasing.
Frequently Used Terms
Increase your recycle-savvy.
Why use 100% Recycled Unbleached Paper?
Let Worms Eat Your Garbage
Just because you're no longer hungry, doesn't mean they aren't.
On Crumb Rubber and Cow Paths . . .
What one clever Horticultural Assistant did to save the grass from foot trails.
Community Recycling News
The Scrap Box, The Washtenaw County Recycling Guide, and Backyard Composting.
Buy Recycled Expo a Success
Waste Management Services, M-Stores and the City of Ann Arbor hosted the "Buy Recycled Expo" on May 21, 1996 at the Michigan League. The event attracted 400 attendees, and featured 24 vendors of recycled-content products from office paper, carpeting to compost. If you missed the Expo but would like a list of the vendors, call 763-5539.
Buy Recycled and Close the Loop
Recycling, as the word implies, is a cycle. It is comprised of three steps which are represented by the familiar chasing arrows symbol: collecting, manufacturing, and purchasing. All three steps are necessary for real recycling to occur. Waste Management Services directs much of its energy to the first step: collection. All of you help us in getting the "supply" of material (e.g., paper, glass) to the market. Industry generally takes care of the next step: manufacturing. At processing plants, mills and factories, materials are turned into new products. The last step" purchasing" is critical, yet unfortunately receives the least amount of attention. Purchasing recycled-content products ensures that the University will have an outlet for the materials that we collect every day. Buying products that have been made out of recycled materials is also referred to as "closing the loop".
Many products, beyond copier paper, are available in recycled-content. Recently, the City of Ann Arbor constructed a Material Recovery Facility (a light industrial plant) that contained over 13,800,000 pounds of recycled building materials. Everything from the steel beams, floor tiles and carpets, ceiling tiles, plastic lumber benches, and paving material ("glassphalt") was made of recycled materials.
The University is a large buyer of materials and products. At this time, there is no "mandate" on campus to buy recycled-content nor guidelines on how to do it. It is completely a demand driven activity. In other words, individuals who make buying and purchasing decisions must ask for and specify recycled-content as their preference. Recycled-content is an option for anyone who buys office supplies, custodial supplies, and construction and maintenance materials. University M-Stores stocks some office supplies that are recycled (Call 8-7070 for listing). When buying specialty items through Purchasing, be sure to specify recycled-content. Waste Management Services has several listings of products that are available. Two helpful guidebooks are the "Campus Green Buying Guide" from Green Seal, and the "Buy Recycled Guidebook" from the National Recycling Coalition's Buy Recycled Business Alliance. Contact Waste Management for information on how to obtain these publications.
Frequently Used Terms
- "Recycled" simply means that the product contains some recovered materials.
- "Post-consumer" means the recovered materials have been used to their extended end purpose and collected back for recycling. (e.g., used office paper that is collected on campus.)
- "Pre-consumer" means the recovered materials are from scrap generated by manufacturers or product converters (e.g., trimmings or overruns within the factory.)
- "Recyclable" generally means the product can be collected and made into new products, however, this is only true if your local program accepts it.
The best product labels give specific information, e.g., "Made from 100% Recycled Paper with 50% Post-Consumer Content" or "Recyclable Where Local Facilities Exist."
Why use 100% Recycled Unbleached Paper?
Conventional papers are made "white" by bleaching with chlorine. Chlorine runoff from paper mills creates organochlorides: compounds such as dioxin and furans. Studies have shown these by-product compounds have adverse affects on human health, wildlife and the environment.
University M-Stores now supplies an alternative copier paper: Hammermill Unity DP. This is a 100% recycled paper that is made by de-inking newsprint and magazines, without the bleaching. (Recycling Matters newsletter is printed on it.) Using de-inked paper is an opportunity to prevent pollution with a small change in behavior. This trend is happening nationwide. The States of Oregon and Minnesota, the cities of Chicago, Seattle and Ann Arbor, and the U.S. EPA Region 10 offices have all opted for chlorine-free paper in conducting their regular business. McDonalds Corporation has switched most of its packaging to unbleached paper as well. As for the off-white color, many users find it easier on their eyes. Recycling staff believe the paper's popularity will increase as more people experience a "paradigm shift." After all, how many of our readers grew up eating white Wonder bread, yet now prefer whole wheat? University departments are encouraged to try Hammermill Unity DP in their offices. The paper is available in 3 sizes, and can be ordered by the case (10 reams) only. Check M-Stores catalog for current stock numbers and pricing. Be sure to let customers and recipients of your publications know that you are using "100% recycled and unbleached paper." The paper is available in 3 sizes, and can be ordered by the case (10 reams) only. Check M-Stores catalog for current stock numbers and pricing.
Let Worms Eat Your Garbage
Employees in the Grounds and Waste Management lunchroom no longer throw their garbage in the trash can. Instead, they compost their food wastes in a bin with the help of a pound and a half of worms. Using worms for composting or "vermicomposting" is an environmentally sound method for disposing of vegetative food wastes. An estimated 3-5 pounds of garbage is diverted from the landfill each week by the system.
The worm bin is a 20x24x12" covered plastic box that sits in the corner of the lunchroom. In it resides a pound and a half of red worms, or Eisenia foetida, which are a smaller variety than the typical nightcrawlers found outside. Red worms are preferred for vermicomposting because they process large amounts of organic material, and reproduce quickly in a confined environment.
The worms live on a steady diet of banana peels, apple cores, coffee grinds and other vegetative leftovers from employee lunches and snacks. Shredded newspapers serve as bedding material for the worms, and help promote air flow through the bin. Each day, food wastes are buried under the paper. Periodically, water is sprayed in the bin to keep the paper and worms moist. The worms eat the food waste, and their castings produce a rich soil-like compost material that can be used on plants or gardens.
Waste Management Services would like to help other departments start vermicomposting. We will supply the kit with all the necessary items. The ideal location is a lunchroom or kitchenette that serves 10-15 employees. Although the system requires very little maintenance, it is critical that one or two people take responsibility for the bin and its contents to prevent any potential problems. If your department or office is interested in being part of a worm bin pilot, please contact us at 763-5539. We are planning introductory sessions in the near future. Stay tuned.
On Crumb Rubber and Cow Paths . . .
Here's where using a recycled-content product helped solve a nagging problem for Grounds Services staff. Horticultural Assistant, Erin Trame, faced a regular challenge of getting grass to grow, and controlling erosion on, the Diag where students and other pedestrians walk on "cow paths" instead of staying on the sidewalk. She came across the use of crumb rubber to solve the problem. Crumb rubber "which has the appearance of finely ground Oreo cookies" is ground up car and truck tires. The crumbs will help the grass blades withstand the foot traffic along those paths by protecting the crown of the plant. The rubber is an inert material, and has no adverse impact on the grass, soil, or environment. Of course, if pedestrians and bicyclists would only stay on the sidewalks ...use of this product would not be necessary.
Community Recycling News
The Scrap Box is a local non-profit organization that collects scrap materials which can be used as arts and crafts supplies by teachers, parents and others. Many of the items on their "Wish List" include materials that are not recycled on campus, e.g., plastic caps from milk jugs, corks, film canisters, hard plastic t.v. dinner trays, margarine tubs, yarn, keys, buttons, etc. All items should be clean. The Scrap Box does not want sharp objects, foam, fabric, plastic bags and certain other items, so call ahead before bringing any materials in to them. The Scrap Box is located at 521 State Circle (off State St just south of I-94). Hours: Tues and Sat 10 a.m - 2 p.m.; Thurs 2 - 6 p.m. Call 994-0012 or 994-4420 for details.
The Washtenaw County Recycling Guide is now available from the County's Solid Waste Program office. The guide contains information about the 26 drop-off programs and 12 curbside collection programs which serve Washtenaw County residents. For information about recycling in your community, call Washtenaw County Division of Public Works at 994-2398.
Backyard Composting Now is a great time to start composting at home to reduce organic wastes from your yard or kitchen. For tips on how to start, call The Ecology Center at 761-3186. Also, a Master Composter Training Program will be offered this Fall by the Washtenaw County Solid Waste Consortium. Call 994-2398 for information.
Content modified: August 6, 2001
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