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History of the University of Minnesota Recycling Program

Environmental concerns for preserving air, land and water quality, recovering resources and conserving energy were initial foundations for recycling at the University of Minnesota.

In 1984, the Environmental Operations Division of Physical Plant (now Facilities Management) set up a pilot project for the recycling of office paper in one building on campus. The success of this pilot project initiated the present University of Minnesota Recycling Program. Since that time, the program has expanded collections into every building including residence halls, food services, academic buildings and research facilities, on campus. In addition to office paper, the program now collects magazines, file stock, IGC, newspaper, beverage cans, plastics, glass, tin cans, phonebooks, cardboard, chip board (cereal box type materials), and yard waste.

At the urging of the University of Minnesota student chapter of the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG), the university Board of Regents passed a Waste Abatement Policy in 1985. This policy directed the University administration to develop plans and policies that encouraged waste reduction and recycling activities. It was instrumental in expanding the Recycling Program campus wide. In 1992 the Board of Regents passed a new Pollution and Waste Abatement Policy for waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. Currently, over ten tons of recyclable materials are recovered each working day. This amount represents over 30 percent of the total solid waste generated by the University each year.

Early financial support for the Recycling Program was provided by the Metropolitan Council's Incentive Grant Program, an agency that coordinates planning and development for the seven-county metropolitan area. Three $10,000 grants were used to expand the existing office paper recycling program in 1986, a yard waste collection system for composting in 1986, and to initiate a newspaper recycling program in 1988.

The University of Minnesota generates over 600 tons of cardboard waste annually. The bulky nature of cardboard makes volume reduction necessary for storage and transport. A pilot project was started in 1988 to determine the feasibility of using a packer truck for the collection of OCC waste for recycling. This truck went into operation in May 1988 collecting OCC from the 20 highest generators of cardboard on campus.

With the seed money provided for the office paper recycling program, this grant resulted in the successful expansion of the office paper recycling program to twice its original size, with all tonnage and participation rates increasing beyond actual grant goals. The success of this first incentive grant resulted in an increased commitment to recycling by the central administration. This commitment allowed for continued expansion of the office paper recycling program and ultimately, expansion into other materials.

In 1991, the Recycling Program underwent a major change in operations with the implementation of the SMART System a.k.a. the Quad System. This system significantly changed the way recyclable materials were collected and increased the amount of materials recovered.

The growing solid waste problem in the Twin Cities metropolitan area prompted the counties of the region to fund municipal recycling programs from revenues generated by a surcharge incorporated into the tipping fees at disposal facilities. In addition, the state of Minnesota passed legislation to support recycling activities in all 87 counties through a six percent tax on garbage services. Hennepin County used these sources of revenue to reimburse its municipalities, and the University of Minnesota (until 1992), for a portion of their recycling program expenses. The amount given was based on the percentage of the waste stream recycled. This funding mechanism contributed to the substantial growth experienced by the University Recycling Program.

In 1992, recycling became an integral part of the waste management operation. An old University warehouse was converted to the Como Recycling facility and roll-off container equipment was purchased to aid in the processing of materials collected. From 1993 to 1998 all recyclable materials were shipped to markets via roll-off boxes. In 1998 the program made the transition into bailing with the purchase of an Excel 6E III horizontal bailer. This significantly increased revenues and helped reduce labor costs, especially in the handling of plastics.

In 1998, further expansion of the program occurred with Newspaper PLUS. This program allowed for the co-mingling of newspaper with other material such as magazines, books, and catalogs. The process included the conversion of all "Newspaper Only" lids to "Newspaper Plus" in every University building and facility. It took one and a half years to fully implement the program. This increased recycled material rates 250-300 tons per year.

Organics recycling was added to the program in 2007 in cooperation with Aramark, University Dining Services, and Hennepin County, after two unsuccessful attempts in 1989 and 1995. Initially, it started with the collection of food materials from residence hall locations, and the collection of small animal bedding from the animal care facilities in the latter part of 2007 and into 2008. Food services units are using 32 gallon brute containers on wheels that are wheeled to the dock and dumped into a rear loading packer. Once collected, it is taken to the St. Paul campus and incorporated into the large animal bedding compost facility.

The merger of recycling and solid waste operations provided the program with the equipment, labor, and finances to further develop the program, with recycling becoming the cost reduction arm of this unit.

In 2007, we launched a YouTube© page where the public can gain inside access to videos of media coverage, exciting news, and current events.

Currently, Team Recycle uses Facebook© to reach students. With event invitations, photo sharing, and wall postings, U of M students can stay connected!