Goals of Recycling Program

Dorm Recycling

That's right! Dorm recycling is finally here and it is here to stay! Recycling bins are conveniently located near the dumpster areas of the dorms: Mynders, Smith, South, Rawls, LLC and Richardson. The Carpenter Complex also has a recycle center located on the West side of the complex between the two Architecture and Design residence area. At each location the items paper/cardboard, plastic #1, #2, #4, aluminum, glass, tin, and steel can be recycled. Please stay posted as our program continues to develop!

MILLION POUND CHALLENGE

Million Pound ChallengeThe Million Pound Challenge is a University of Memphis recycle challenge only. After noticing the steady increase of approximately 200,000 lbs. each year in recycling from 2009 to 2013, we initiated this challenge to reach one million pounds by June 30, 2014 as a target goal. The kickoff for the Million Pound Challenge is on November 20th, although collection for the million pound count has been in place since July 1st. The kickoff for the Million Pound Challenge will be in conjunction with our celebration for America Recycles Day. The Recycle Zone, located between Mynders Hall and Desoto Ave. will hold the Million Pound Challenge goal thermometer that will update the public each month on how many pounds we have recycled so far. The goal thermometer is to be place at the Recycle Zone in correlation with the Million Pound Challenge kickoff on Nov. 20th, 2013. Also, keep up with the latest on our recycling goal by liking our Facebook page!

COMINGLE RECYCLING

After months of preparation our campus recycling program will now be taking comingled recycling. We are in the process of relabeling all the bins in each building and the recycle dumpsters will also be switched to comingle recycling. Below is the comingle label that was designed by our university marketing department and UofM Sustainability Program. Comingle recycling will help make our recycle program even easier for the customer to recycle, thereby encouraging more recycling. It will also help make labor cost and purchasing cost of bins lessen as well. Our sustainability student worker has been surveying the campus over the summer and fall semester marking building blueprints with locations of existing recycle bins and possible locations needing new recycle bins. We hope to gradually exchange portions of the bins with universal lids so comingle recycling is more obvious. The new indoor recycle bins from now on will look like the recycle bin in the picture below.

ELECTRIC TRUCKS

In addition to our 2 electric trucks, we are purchasing 9 more electrical trucks to be used around campus by our physical plant employees. It costs $.0295 per mile to run our electric vehicle, while it costs $0.3736 per mile to run a gasoline vehicle.