In this Bulletin:

• 1. CU Recycling Report: Mid-year Numbers, Solid Waste Management Stations, Call for Environmental Awards Nominations, Construction & Demolition Recycling
  
• 2. Local Recycling Info: Solid Waste Professionals Tour Boulder’s Facilities
  
• 3. Industry News: 80% Beverage Container Recycling in Five Years?
  
• 4. Frightening Fact: Trashed Computers are Bad
  
• 5. Glimmer of Hope: COMEx
  
• 6. Get Involved / Upcoming Events: Office Recycling Trainings for Staff, Recycling Education Project, Green Teams
  1.*************** CU Recycling Report ***************
  
  MID-YEAR RECYCLING VOLUMES DIP
  Recycling volumes are down slightly from last year. A total of 615 tons of recyclables were collected during the first six months of the fiscal year, down one percent from last year. A combination of new collection locations being planned and greater outreach should put the program back on track to another record year.
  
  SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT STATIONS
  Recycling improvements are always taking shape at the CU-Boulder campus. CU-Boulder is now the proud home to seven new solid waste management stations that make recycling more attractive and convenient across campus. The stations, which replace some of the stone aggregate trashcans in outdoor, high-traffic areas, are comprised of three black steel containers - one each for trash, newspaper, and co-mingled containers (glass, plastic and aluminum). Funding for the solid waste management stations was provided by the University of Colorado Student Union with collection service provided by Facilities Management. Next time you walk across campus, know that a recycling bin for your soda can or newspaper may be just a step away.
  
  WHO IS MAKING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE AT CU?
  The University of Colorado Environmental Center wishes to recognize outstanding individuals and departments who demonstrate a sincere commitment to reducing the burden that the CU-Boulder campus places on the local and global environments. Please give some thought to who may be deserving of such an award and submit a nomination. This year’s Campus Earth Summit will be held Monday April 16-18 and an environmental awards ceremony will be held on Monday, April 16, 2001 in order to recognize environmental accomplishments on campus. The ten categories under which individuals and departments may be considered for awards are:
  
  * Alternative Transportation
  * Energy Conservation
  * Green Faculty
  * Hazardous Materials Use / Hazardous Waste Reduction
  * Individual Achievement
  * Outstanding Alumni
  * Recycling
  * Recycled Product Purchasing
  * Waste Reduction
  * Water Conservation
  
  Nominees must be a department or individual currently or formerly located on the University of Colorado-Boulder campus. NOMINATIONS ARE DUE BY FEBRURY 16, 2001. Log-on to the Environmental Center web page http://www.colorado.edu/ecenter to fill out and submit a nomination form. Contact 492-8308 for more information.
  
  CONSTRUCTION/DEMOLITION RECYCLING AT CU
  Recycling at the UMC expansion and renovation project is achieving some encouraging results. More than 2,000,000 pounds of concrete, asphalt, and scrap metal has been diverted from area landfills to date. In addition to its environmental benefits, construction/demolition recycling saves transportation costs, disposal fees, and has even returned some revenue to the UMC project.
  
  2. *************** Local Recycling Info *******************
  
  With the Solid Waste Association of North America conference in Denver this week, solid waste professionals from all around the country will be in Boulder on February 14 to tour some of the county’s greatest waste management operations. Stops on the tour include the construction site of the new county processing facility, Resource 2000, Western Disposal, and CU’s award winning facility.
  
  3. *************** Industry News *****************
  
  After a year of talks and activities, an alliance of major businesses and key environmental groups has formed to design a multi-stakeholder solution to achieving a national beverage container recycling rate of 80 percent within five years. Businesses and Environmentalists Allied for Recycling (BEAR), a project of Global Green USA, is close to formally launching. BEAR participants agree that some kind of recycling legislation is needed if an alternative to traditional deposit systems is not found within a limited time. For more information about this promising partnership between recyclers and manufacturers visit:http://www.grrn.org/bear/bear.html
  
  4. *************** Frightening Fact *****************
  
  According to Wayne Gums of Guaranteed Recycling Xperts in Denver, in the next ten years over half a billion computers will end up in landfills and even worse, each computer holds over 10 pounds of lead contained in the circuit boards and monitor. If a tenth of a percent of this lead is leachable and winds up in our water, it would amount to 5 million pounds of soluble lead. If we assume that 80% of these computers are properly recycled, that is still a million pounds of lead added to the environment that could have been recycled.
  
  5. *************** Glimmer of Hope ****************
  
  COMEx, the Colorado Materials Exchange has links and information posted on its web site that will help you recycle or get rid of your dust-collecting computer equipment while minimizing the waste. Visit http://www.colorado.edu/cure/COMEX/ and check out the Electronics Recovery and Recycling Directories and the Electronics Recovery and Recycling Programs links for information about disposing of your old computer equipment safely. Remember that office computers in CU’s inventory must be disposed of through CU Property Services.
  
  6. *************** Get Involved / Upcoming Events***************
  
  CU Recycling offers recycling trainings for housing residents, faculty and staff. Ever wonder why neon paper can’t be recycled? What "co-mingled containers" are? Or what happens to your recyclables? Whether your floor, hall or office is full of expert recyclers or you just need a refresher, you can have CU Recycling come to your next meeting and answer all your questions about recycling, recycled products, reducing waste in your hall or office, and helping out our recycling program on campus. The presentation includes a slide show of the campus program, a question and answer period, a recycling survey, posters, informational materials, and free "Leanin’ Tree" coffee mugs and recycling stickers. Presentations are anywhere from 10-45 minutes long - you decide. Contact CU Recycling for more details.
  Call 303-492-8307, e-mail cure@colorado.edu or visit http://www.colorado.edu/cure or UMC 331.
  
  RECYCLING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITES:
  Recycling Education Project: Be the eyes and ears of recycling in an academic building or residence hall. Improve recycling there with only a few hour of commitment each month. Call Alexis or Brighid at 303-492-8307 for more info.Green Teams: Spread the recycling word on the hill. Visit student houses on Tuesday and Wednesday with information on how, when, and where to recycle right. Contact CJ at choozeque@aol.com or 303-492-8307. Students: Make a difference with your degree! Choose to do a class paper, oral presentation, internship, or independent study with CU Recycling. Bring your class syllabus to our office and we’ll find a project that will meet your class requirement and benefit recycling. Call 303-492-8307 for more info.

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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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