Recycling is Easy at VCU

By Leila Ugincius

When it comes to sustainability, most people are familiar with the three "R's:" Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. But there's a fourth "R" that Virginia Commonwealth University environmental leaders hope the campuses will begin to embrace: Rethink.

If people thought a little more about their habits in how they use resources, that would go a long way in helping the university's overall sustainable goals, said Steven R. Heinitz, manager of Environmental Conservation.

"Do we really need to go out and buy certain things?" asked Heinitz. "For example, in my office, we have one central copier. We're more conscious of how we print right now."

To remind people that it's the little things — such as sharing a central printer — that add up, VCU is participating in the national RecycleMania competition this year for the fifth time. Final results for the 2012 tournament will be announced April 13.

RecycleMania is an annual competition among hundreds of universities in the United States and Canada. Colleges can use the eight-week competition as a benchmarking tool for their recycling programs and waste reduction efforts.

"A lot of RecycleMania is the behavioral – trying to get people to think about their behaviors," Heinitz said. "It gives us the opportunity to put the recycling program in the forefront. Our role is to make sure the program is functioning properly. During RecycleMania, we try to emphasize that we have a recycling program and encourage people to do positive behaviors."

While Heinitz calls RecycleMania a friendly competition, he does take it seriously.

"We don't look at it as a competition," he said. "We look at it as a way for VCU to reinvigorate its program."

Unquestionably, VCU has a robust recycling program.

The university has installed more than a dozen “BigBelly” trash collection systems across both campuses. The trash collectors use solar energy to compact garbage, allowing the bins to hold up to five times more waste than a regular trash bin. The process helps produce a cleaner environment, reducing labor costs and trash collection trips.

Last year, VCU opened a recycling station for students and staff who live off campus and don’t have access to curbside recycling in their homes. The station, behind the 500 Academic Centre, offers easy drive-up access and receptacles for paper and plastics.

Part of the goal of the university's convenient recycling sites is the convenience factor, Heinitz said.

"We don't want to ask you to take an hour out of your day to recycle."

Besides making recycling accessible to students and staff, the university has been looking at compost programs for more than two years.

In August, VCU Dining Services through Aramark started an organic composting program with Natural Organic Process Enterprises (NOPE) to pick up organic waste generated at Shafer Court Dining Center twice a week. Organic waste from Shafer Court Dining Center is delivered to the McGill composting facility in Waverly, which specializes in composting biodegradable materials from industrial, municipal and agribusiness sources. The dining center recycled 41,105 pounds of organic waste — more than five tons per month — from Aug. 29 to Dec. 31, 2011.

Additionally, Dining Services and Aramark have begun recycling fryer oil from campus eateries such as the Shafer Court Dining Center and the University Student Commons. Reco Biodiesel, a local company, picks up the used fryer oil and converts it into bio-diesel fuel. VCU then buys back the bio-diesel made from the fryer oil to use in its three bio-diesel vehicles.

"Every little thing you do adds up," Heinitz said.

For more information on RecycleMania, visit http://recyclemaniacs.org/.