In this Bulletin:

1. CU Recycling Report: Green Product Survey, Deskside Improvements
2. Local Recycling Info: Recycled Product Display at County Courthouse
3. Industry News: Producer-Responsibility in Campus Procument Contracts
4. Frightening Fact: Computer Age Paper Consumption
5. Glimmer of Hope: What You Can Do
6. Get Involved / Upcoming Events: America Recycles Day Nov. 15, Fall Leaf and Pumpkin Collections

1. *************** CU Recycling Report ***************

GREEN PRODUCT SURVEY The CU Environmental Center and CU Recycling are asking campus offices and individuals to respond to a survey of purchasing patterns for green products. If you have not already responded, please see our easy to fill out survey at http://www.Colorado.EDU/ecenter All completed surveys will be entered in a drawing for a gift certificate, generously donated by the CU Bookstore. The drawing will be held on America Recycles Day, Wednesday, November 15. We ask you to please respond to the survey on the web, through email, or campus mail by Wednesday morning to be entered into the drawing.We appreciate your assistance! DESKSIDE IMPROVEMENTS CU Recycling is improving the deskside recycling program so there is never a doubt about what can and can’t go into deskside bins. Since many faculty and staff may not be familiar with proper deskside recycling procedures, stickers describing acceptable materials will soon be attached to campus deskside containers. Deskside recycling staff will leave reminders on deskside bins when they notice they are not being used as intended. Deskside recycling bins are divided in half: one side for office pak and the other for newspaper. Call our office if you’d like more information, or for a new brochure detailing the deskside program.

2. *************** Local Recycling Info *******************

BOULDER COUNTY RECYCLED PRODUCT DISPLAY Boulder County will have products made from recycled materials displayed in its exhibit case on the first floor of the County Courthouse from October 20 - December 15. Stop by to see products such as shirts and carpeting made from recycled plastic soda bottles, a picture frame made from laundry detergent bottles, shoes with soles made from recycled tires, toilet paper made from recycled office paper and much more! Visitors will be able to sign America Recycles Day pledge cards and pick up educational brochures on where to recycle in Boulder County, the basics of composting and vermicomposting. Contact Elizabeth Vastaka at 303-441-3930 for more information.

3. *************** Industry News *****************

The following is an appeal from California State University-Sacremento requesting ideas to reduce the prodigious amounts of styrofoam packaging entering campuses each year. If you have thoughts or suggestions, please send them to CU Recycling at cure@stripe.colorado.edu and we will forward your comments. "Has anyone out there tried working with their procurement department to write a producer-responsibility styrofoam ’take-back’ clause into their computer procurement contracts? "I am envisioning a system where every time a computer company delivers a new computer or monitor onto campus, they are required to take back any styrofoam and other packaging leftover from any of their brand of computers that was previously delivered to campus. "Is this an unrealistic pipe dream? Now that many procurement departments are going to decentralized purchasing, are there too many computer suppliers for each campus to make this work? Would this system still require too much inventory space on campus? If anyone has experience with this, I would love to hear about it."

4. *************** Frightening Fact *****************

The computer age was supposed to usher in a paper-free society. To the contrary, it seems to have ushered in an era of unprecedented paper consumption. The United States consumed 99 million tons of paper in 1997, about 740 pounds per American. The U.S., with five percent of the world’s population, consumes 30% of the world’s paper. Sources: PaperCuts: Recovering the Paper Landscape, Worldwatch 1999, by Janet N. Abramovitz and Ashley T. Mattoon; and Center for a New AmericanDream

5. *************** Glimmer of Hope ****************

The Worldwatch Institute estimates that most people can cut their office paper consumption by 20% or more simply by employing such "good housekeeping practices" as eliminating unnecessary print jobs, reusing paper that is blank on one side, and setting the copier default to "duplex"mode. The Center for A New American Dream has has predicted that if their 11,000 email subscribers choose 100% post-consumer recycled copy paper instead of virgin paper for use at work and home in the next year, they will save over 13,000 trees and 5 million gallons of water, and prevent landfilling of 340,000 cubic feet of paper! If half the students and staff at CU make the same choice, we could have a similar impact. For more info what you can do to shift paper consumption, visit http://www.newdrea.org/monthly/sep00.html To find out where you can buy 100% post-consumer paper for your department copier or printer, call CU Recycling at 303-492-8307.

6. ********** Get Involved / Upcoming Events************

AMERICA RECYCLES DAY IS WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 15 Wednesday, November 15 is America Recycles Day! Stop by CU Recycling’s table in the UMC, at the east entrance to the CU Bookstore November 14 and 15 between 11 am and 2 pm to learn more about recycled products. You can sample recycled products in a "blind test", and fill out a pledge card to demonstrate your commitment to recycling and buying recycled products -- pledges will be entered in a national drawing to win the "American Green Dream House"! For more information on America Recycles Day, to take a virtual tour of the American Green Dream House, or to pledge and enter the contest online, visit http://www.americarecyclesday.org For more America Recycles Day events in Colorado, see http://www.cafr.org/arday/arday.htm

DONATE TO EXTRAS! FOR EDUCATION Clean your home or office for America Recycles Day! Your donations will help teachers and students in Boulder County receive teaching and learning supplies they need.Wednesday, Nov. 15thDrop off reusable items from 11am to 1pm 375 Airport RoadLongmont, Colorado Items needed: file folders, hanging file folders, copy paper, office supplies, calculators, adding machines, storage boxes, chairs, tables, white boards, bulletin boards, floor and table lamps, small refrigerators, TVs, VCRs, cameras, art supplies, tape recorders, kitchen appliances, clipboards, stools, small file cabinets, rolling carts, children’s books, dictionaries, bookcases and more. Items must be clean and in good working condition. You will be sent a tax-deductible receipt. No computers or printers accepted this year. Remember that CU property must be disposed of through Property Services. Contact Catherine Bedell, The Adopt A School Program/EXTRAs! for Education, 303-823-9460, catherine@adoptaschoolprogram.com Sponsored by Western Disposal, City of Longmont, Boulder County Recycling and Composting Authority, Daily Times-Call and The Adopt A School Program.

FALL LEAF AND PUMPKIN COLLECTION PROGRAMS IN BOULDER COUNTY Several communities throughout Boulder County are hosting leaf, yard waste, and/or pumpkin recycling collection programs. In all programs, please be sure to remove plastic bags, metal objects, string, yard toys and other trash before placing the leaves and/or pumpkins in specified locations. For the curbside programs, it is strongly encouraged that residents place leaves in biodegradable lawn and leaf bags versus plastic which will not readily decompose and are a contaminant to the program! For information on programs in your area, call the following numbers, or check with the

Boulder County Recycling and Composting authority at 303-651-8998.
City of BoulderLeaves, Branches, Limbs, Grass and Pumpkin drop-offs 303-441-4234 for locations and info

City of Broomfield Fall Leaf, Pumpkin, and Tree-Limb CollectionCall 303-404-2839 for info

City of LongmontSpecial curbside leaf collection and drop-offs For further information call 303-651-8416.

City of Louisville Curbside Leaf pick-up and Tree Limb Drop-Off For more information call 303-666-0124.

City of Superior For information call 303-499-3675.