• 1. CU Recycling Report
• 2. Local Recycling Info: Citizens Advisory Committee Seeks Members
• 3. Industry News: Wasting and Recycling in the U.S.
• 4. Frightening Fact: The Junk Mail Monster
• 5. Glimmer of Hope: You Can Fight Back
• 6. Get Involved / Upcoming Events: Hill Clean Up, Earth Week 2000, Compost Workshops
  
  1. *************** CU Recycling Report ***************
  
  In 1998, CU Recycling began conducting surveys of students and off-campus agencies in order to research emerging trends and technologies in the recycling industry and to gather information that could enhance campus recycling. Using this information, the student-administration partnership for recycling has developed a vision for the next generation of recycling improvements at CU Boulder.
  CU diverts approximately 30 percent of our waste through recycling. As the campus grows, we wish to diminish the large amount of waste entering the landfill by increasing recycling and composting
  efforts. By using market incentives, new technologies, and purchasing policies to reduce campus waste generation and by improving our consumption and disposal habits, CU will now be more able to recover and process upwards of sixty percent waste diversion to recycling.
  Measures are being planned for 2000-2001 to create a cost effective recycling and composting operation. Look for additional classroom recycling containers and solid waste management stations that combine trash cans and recycling bins. Cardboard disposal will become more convenient, especially in housing, with the implementation of automated cardboard collection.
  Minimization efforts are being made to control the increased generation of waste that is expected as the campus grows with rising enrollment and ongoing construction. To decrease the amount of unused and unwanted subscriptions and to reduce the potential for junk mail distribution, more stringent conditions for on-campus commercial solicitation and the sale of campus mailing lists are being sought. Vendor contracts for soft drinks, concessions, and food service suppliers are also being revised along with the promotion of waste reduction technologies.
  There is strong support for recycling beyond simply collecting materials. The next step to get the campus community more actively involved in waste reduction is improved outreach and education. Recycling will receive growing exposure with increased media presence and improved signage and displays. For incoming student and new employee orientations, an updated "Green Purchasing" guide will be made available and academic research opportunities will continue to move the program ahead.
  As CU continues to grow and expand, we strive to minimize our impact on the environment. The vision for the future of recycling and CU will be the topic of roundtable discussions that we urge you to attend on Thursday, April 20 at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the UMC. For more information, call 492-8307.
  
  The Earth Day 2000 Awards Luncheon will take place on Friday, April 21, 2000 from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Glenn Miller Lounge & Ballroom of the University Memorial Center. The awards ceremony will recognize the significant environmental achievements of the campus in the past year. Among the individuals and departments that will receive awards, the following are being honored for their extraordinary efforts in recycling:
  • Facilities Management Custodial Division for Classroom Recycling. Each day, custodians pick up trash and recyclable materials from the campus’ hundreds of classrooms. Every custodian is encouraged to recycle appropriate items. Doing so goes the extra step in an already burdensome task.
  • Pete Grogan (1976) for Outstanding Alumnus. Pete co-founded EcoCycle in 1976 and his efforts have resulted in Eco-Cycle’s success as the preeminent non-profit recycling program in the country today. His past work with the National Recycling Coalition resulted in bringing recycling to America’s attention for Earth Day 1990. He currently serves as Director of Recycling for Weyerhauser Corporation where he is helping to change the mindset that virgin forests are indeed a finite resource and secondary materials should be used instead.
  • Robert Montez of Property Services for Waste Reduction. In spring of 1999, Robert instituted Property Service’s Computer Recovery and Disposal Program that screens computers to reuse functional units. This project has allowed for the replacement of working units on campus and has increased the purchase of used systems and components at public auction. Instead of computers going to the landfill, 60 to 70 percent are being re-used thanks to Robert’s efforts to start this program.
  
  
  Please RSVP to the UCSU Environmental Center if you will attend the awards luncheon at 492-8308, or e-mail ecenter@stripe.colorado.edu.
  
  2. *************** Local Recycling Info *******************
  
  Boulder County Recycling and Composting Authority is seeking residents who reside in unincorporated Boulder County, Erie, Lyons, Nederland, and Superior to sit on its Citizens Advisory Committee.
  The mission of the CAC is to advise the Authority on major waste diversion policies and strategies to achieve 50 percent waste diversion by 2005. With the direction of the BCRCA, it will develop policy and action recommendations for a long range, countywide solid waste management plan for consideration by the BCRCA.
  The committee meets once a month to discuss waste diversion policies affecting Boulder County. Applicants must reside in the areas listed above and be willing to serve a term from their acceptance date to Dec. 2001. A policy sub-committee has also been formed and new members are needed to fill seats on it as well as other sub-committees formed by the CAC. Interested residents should call the Boulder County Recycling and Composting Authority at (303)651-8998 for an application.
  
  3. *************** Industry News *****************
  
  A new report, Wasting and Recycling in the United States 2000 issued by the GrassRoots Recycling Network, indicates that solid waste is on the rise and outpacing the increase in recycling.
  Since 1994, municipal recycling rates have increased only slightly after rapidly increasing rates in recycling during the late 80s and early 90s. Currently, manufacturers are producing more packaging and products that are difficult to recycle or lack recycled content. From 1990 to 1997, plastic packaging grew five times faster by weight than plastic recovered for recycling.
  The waste hauling industry continues to consolidate. Big hauling companies that are vertically integrated with waste facilities make more money by landfilling than recycling.
  Recycling has decreased in priority as some states are considering rescinding their recycling goals and policies while a few cities have opted to cutback their recycling budgets. A number of industries, particularly the plastic industry, have not followed through on commitments to utilize more recycled material.
  The report attributes these factors to the increase of waste:
  • Manufacturers and sellers of products and packaging usually have no responsibilities for handling material once it is discarded.
  • Recycling competes with raw materials processing on an uneven economic playing field. The prices of virgin materials exclude billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies and the true environmental and public health costs imposed by resource extraction and manufacturing. Secondly, the prices for waste disposal, which competes with reuse and recycling for the supply of discarded materials, do not reflect the cost of perpetual landfill maintenance and other externalities. In addition, the economic benefits of recycling are often overlooked as it creates at least ten times more jobs than landfilling.
  This new report on wasting and recycling in the U.S. points out the need to reinvigorate citizen activism and maintain and expand public policies to eliminate waste and conserve resources. Its prescribed Agenda for Action is a four-part government strategy for moving toward zero waste:
  • Level the economic playing field so resource conservation businesses can out-compete wasting industries.
  • Make manufacturers and brand owners share responsibility for their product and packaging waste.
  • Develop holistic resource management systems, linking zero waste planning to building sustainable communities; and
  • Build the reuse and recycling infrastructure.
  Boulder’s Mayor Will Toor will speak at a presentation about how our society is wasting more and must create additional programs that make recycling more convenient. This important event concerning the future of recycling is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Monday, April 17; please attend and learn more about zero waste. For additional information about the press conference, call Eco-Cycle at (303)444-6634. For more in regards to the GrassRoots report, visit the GRRN web site at http://www.grrn.org
  
  4. *************** Frightening Fact *****************
  
  We are drowning in a deluge of junk mail. Most junk mail goes unopened and America is filling three percent of our landfills with 4 million tons of this unnecessary waste every year. That equals the destruction of one and a half trees per American, the use of 28 billion gallons of water for paper processing, and the allocation of $320 million in tax dollars for disposal fees each year.
  The junk mail monster is growing. Every time you buy or order something, give to a charity, or sign up for a contest where you submit your name and address, that information is put on a list and sold to literally thousands of companies. These companies are then free to shower you with uninvited mail while continuing sell your name to other companies.
  As the junk mail flood overwhelms us, CU cannot stay dry. An estimated 270 tons of junk mail enter campus annually contributing an estimated ten percent of CU’s waste stream.
  Companies produce even more waste by not updating their mailing lists. CU’s own mailing list is no exception. Problems with the generation of junk mail on campus include multiple mailings to the same address and mailing lists littered with obsolete names.
  Unfortunately, there is resistance from direct marketers to reform their practices at CU. The University has offered to voluntarily update the company’s databases but the efforts were refused.
  Have we lost control of how our personal information is circulated and used by companies?
  
  5. *************** Glimmer of Hope ****************
  
  Action begins with the individual; we can fight back against the junk mail monster and reduce its relentless impact on the environment.
  First off, use the following magic words every time you buy or sign up for anything that requires you to release personal information: "Please do not sell, rent, or trade my name."
  Secondly, save the labels from the variations of names and addresses that come to your mailbox. Each is just another name on a list that gets sold around. Affix the labels to a page and make enough copies to send to the following companies, then ask to have those names deleted from the broker’s mailing lists.
  
  Mail Preference Service
  Direct Marketing Association
  P.O. Box 9008
  Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
  
  1st Data Solutions
  Mail List Services
  1235 North Ave
  Nevada, IA 50201
  
  MetroMail Corporation
  List Maintenance
  C/O Customer Service
  901 West Bond
  Lincoln, NE 68521-3694
  
  American Express
  Customer Service
  200 Vesey Street-Tower C
  New York, NY 10285
  1-800-297-8378
  
  ADVO, Inc.
  Attn. List Services
  1 Univac Lane
  Windsor CT 06095-0755
  (Signature required to process request.)
  
  Val-Pak Coupons
  1840 Aerojet Way
  N. Las Vegas, NV 89030
  1-800-825-7257
  
  Carol Wright Gifts
  Customer Service
  P.O. Box 8523
  Lincoln, NE 68544-8523
  
  We are curious to hear about the results of your efforts to reduce junk mail. Please send insights to cure@stripe.colorado.edu.
  
  6. *************** Get Involved / Upcoming Events***************
  
  - The UNIVERSITY HILL CLEAN UP sponsored by the Green Teams and Greenbucks, will take place on Saturday, April 15 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.. An army of volunteers will make the parking lot across from The Sink on Broadway and Pennsylvania headquarters as they storm the trash-ridden Hill. By volunteering, not only will you help clean the Hill, you can earn FREE tickets to the Greenbucks concert at the Boulder Theater on April 20th featuring Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe!
  
  - Think globally and drink locally at the MICROBREWERIES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT CONCERT. Get down and boogie with LEFTOVER SALMON and THAMUSEMENT while enjoying $1 pints of twenty different microbrews! The show starts at 7:00 p.m. on April 13 in The Boulder Theater and benefits CU Recycling, the CU Environmental Center, Wild Bear Science School, the Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project, and Global Response. It’s sure to sell out before the show, so get your tickets now at the Boulder Theater Box Office- call (303)786-7030 or visit http://www.bouldertheater.com.
  
  EARTH WEEK 2000 is April 17-21. EARTH DAY 2000 is April 22. For a complete schedule of on-campus Earth Week events, visit http://www.colorado.edu/cuenvironmentalcenter/ Or, visit Boulder's community listing of campus Earth Day events.
  
• On Earth Day Eve, Eco-cycle presents its Earth Day event: BEYOND RECYCLING: ZERO WASTE. This presentation will be preceded by wine and hors d’oeuvres and followed with dessert. Learn about zero waste programs and policies adopted by countries around the world that are making landfills and the depletion of natural resources archaic practices of the past. Come share your ideas and thoughts and enter to win an electric-assist mountain bike or a one-night stay for two at a mountain resort and spa. Call Eco-Cycle for info and RSVP by April 17, (303)444-6634.
  
  
• BACKYARD COMPOSTING WORKSHOPS: Reduce trash. Turn kitchen and yard wastes into garden food. For more information, or to reserve a space, call the Boulder Energy Conservation Center at (303)441-3278. Upcoming workshop dates:
  Tuesday, April 18, in Broomfield
  Thursday, May 11, in Longmont
  
  
• Is your campus group planning a CHARITABLE COLLECTION DRIVE? CU Recycling invites campus groups to take advantage of collection space in our newest recycling station at the UMC. The station includes one cubic yard of convenient, lockable space for the public to drop off items during charitable collection drives. Located near the outdoor ATMs at the northeast entrance to the UMC fountain area, the station can be reserved for your group’s next collection drive. This is made possible in part by the Boulder County Recycling and Composting Authority and UCSU. For more information, contact Kate Callander at 492-4330.

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About University of Colorado at Boulder Recycling

The University of Colorado's recycling program is a non-profit, campus-based organization whose mission is to instill awareness of the benefits of waste reduction and recycling.  CU Recycling is widely regarded as one of the nation's leading campus programs. Awards have been given by such groups as the EPA, National Recycling Coalition, and the Office of Federal Environmental Executive, who in 2000, announced CU Recycling the model campus program in the United States.

The university community is encouraged to get involved in CU Recycling's many activities.  For more information, call (303)492-8307 or visit http://www.colorado.edu/recycle

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