Central Collection

Prior to the beginning of the Spring 1998 semester, the Engineering Building had no system of recycling. According to a waste audit performed by the Physical Plant in November 1997, 75.9% of the material found in the waste stream was classified as recyclable. In an effort to quarter the waste being produced by the Engineering Building, a new system of recycling was introduced.
Waste is produced by all individuals, whether they be faculty members, staff members, or students. In order to eliminate as much waste as possible, each of these sources must be addressed. Deskside recycling bins were issued to all faculty members, staff members, and graduate assistants who had an office or a desk within the building. You might ask, "Now what goes into these containers?" The answer is simple - whatever can be recycled.
The deskside bin serves as the immediate receptacle for recyclables, while the mini-bin gets filled with trash.	See if you can find the mini-bin - the new trash cans are so small you won't even notice them!
Different individuals are likely to produce different amounts of waste. Most of this waste, however, is recyclable upon further examination. It is not surprising to discover that most of the so-called "waste" produced really is, in fact, recyclable. Of course, these small bins do not possess an infinite capacity. When a deskside bin is full, the owner is responsible for taking it to what are called "the central collection bins."
	This is an example of what the set of central collection containers look like in the Engineering Building. This set is located in one of the main halls.
Central collection bins are a set of four 19-gallon containers designed to collect the contents of the deskside recycling bins. Each bin is color-coded and labeled for easy use. Two bins are blue and have a rectangular slot in the lid. These are for mixed paper products. One bin is red and has a round hole in the lid. This bin is for aluminum cans, glass, and plastic bottles. The fourth and final bin is black with a rectangular slot in the lid. The black bin is for whatever legitimate trash you might have. Source separation is a key in the process of recycling - it is easiest to separate paper from plastic from trash as it is produced rather than some other time further on down the line.

Color Key to the Bins:
empty	Mixed Paper
empty	Aluminum Cans & Plastic/Glass Bottles
empty	Legitimate Trash

Of course, very few people would recycle anything if the process was not made convenient for them. Central collection bins are designed to cater to groups of ten to fifteen individuals. They are located just outside of large lecture halls. They are also placed in common areas where human traffic is frequent. Placing containers in convenient locations, we believe, increases the likelihood of their use.

Well, well - here's another set of collection bins. This set happens to be located on the first floor in one of the computer labs. If these units are strategically yet conveniently placed, our waste stream will be drastically reduced in no time at all!