Ecologue

The 2011-2012 year came to a close one month ago today, and we at Campus Recycling have been reflecting on how it went, and planning for the next. Here are 10 achievements we’d like to highlight from this past year (in no particular order):

1. AMERICA RECYCLES DAY

Hosted an event on this nationally recognized day that focused on collecting hard-to-recycle items, and was open to both the on- and off-campus community. In just four hours, we collected 3,000 pounds of electronics, electronic storage media and batteries, plus 30 cubic yards of Styrofoam and film plastic.

2. MASTER RECYCLER CLASS

Again co-taught the Linn-Benton Master Recycler class with Allied Waste, which trained more participants than in any year since the program began in 2007.

3. RES. HALL MOVE-OUT DONATION DRIVE

Exceeded our 10-ton goal, collecting 20,122 pounds of donations that went to local nonprofits rather than the landfill.

4. NEW REVENUE

Began partnering with the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative to separate and redeem bottles and cans with redemption value, bringing in a new source of revenue for our program.

5. DA VINCI DAYS

At the 2011 festival, through collaboration with da Vinci Days staff, Allied Waste, and community volunteers, 87% of the trash was diverted either to recycling or compost. This was yet another decrease in trash since the festival waste reduction initiative began in 2010; over the first two years of the initiative, per capita trash has decreased by 80%.

6. DEPARTMENT COMPOST

Spent two terms tracking weights from our department compost collection route, then began developing a model for instituting composting in buildings across campus in the future.

7. RECYCLEMANIA

Again sponsored OSU’s participation in the national RecycleMania competition, and partnered with many other campus departments and student organizations to put on events throughout the competition. Highlights from this year include:

• 6% increase in per capita recycling over 2011,
• 49,000 pounds of electronics collected for recycling in just one month, earning OSU a 5th place ranking in the national e-waste competition,
• 5,000 gallons of Styrofoam collected in one week
• 1st place ranking among Oregon universities, and the Civil War Champion title for the third year.

8. EARTH WEEK

Again lead the annual Earth Week celebration, and partnered with over 50 organizations to put on the 12th Annual Earth Week Community Fair.

9. EXPANDED OUR REACH

We increased public awareness of our program and recycling by:

• Increased our media presence (for example, by being featured in many front page articles in the Corvallis Gazette-Times),
• Coordinated more educational events throughout the academic year, and
• Expanded our social media followers and engagement by launching a new blog in July 2011, creating our own educational videos and YouTube channel, and growing our fan base on Facebook and Twitter.

10. NEW VOLUNTEER TEAM

Developed a volunteer team that works on outreach and events throughout the year, creating experiential learning and leadership opportunities for OSU students.

Thank you to everyone who made 2011-12 such a great year!