Law orders use of disposable dishes at restaurants?!

If you are a person, you may have heard that California is currently facing one of its most severe droughts on record. In fact, it is entering its fourth year of this devastating drought. Governor Jerry Brown has imposed strict conservation measures statewide, including 35% reductions in the water use of private residences and increasing fines for "water wasters." Brown lawns, rather than pristine green lawns, have become the new socially acceptable norm. 

This photo was retrieved here.

However, you're reading a blog post from the Waste Reduction and Recycling Office. What does the drought have to do with waste reduction or recycling? Well, as a result of the drought, the city of Fort Bragg, CA, has ordered restaurants to use disposable plates, cups, and silverware to cut down on water use from dishwashing, and to only serve water to customers when asked.

This photo was retrieved here.

Businesses and residents alike have been mandated to reduce water use by 30%. City Council has, naturally, received harsh criticism from residents, and is going to re-review the order shortly. The critical issue this order brings to the surface is that there is a clear trade-off between eliminating waste by using China, or eliminating water use by providing disposable dishware. Which is worse for the natural environment? The answer would be extremely difficult to determine. Is this a cost-effective way to reduce water use? Jim Hurst, the co-owner of Silvers at the Wharf and Point Noyo Restaurant and Bar, said he expects the "expense is going to be horrendous." Another aspect of this debacle to consider is customer experience. People go out to dinner to have a special night, possibly even to celebrate an already special occasion. Plastic plates and silverware could kill a mood quickly, and restaurants across the city will suffer. Not to mention Fort Bragg's economy, being located directly on California's Pacific Coast, is based largely on tourism. At the end of the day, however, a significant amount of water would be saved if all of the restaurants in a city stopped washing dishes. Is it worth the cost to restaurants and customers alike? We'll have to wait for Fort Braggs to decide.

References
Booker, Brakkton. "California City Orders Restaurants To Use Disposable Plates, 
     Cups." NPR. NPR, 7 Oct. 2015. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.
Tufano, Linda. "California City Orders Restaurants to Use Disposable Plates, Cups." Latest 
     News. 8 Oct. 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.

New Recycling Labels

Ever glanced at a product or its packaging and noticed one of the symbols seen on the right? Did you think that, because the symbol is the three chasing arrows, the material was recyclable? Unfortunately, this is not necessarily the case. These symbols are called Resin Identification Codes (RICs), and details are highlighted in the photo below. RICs were developed by The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) in 1988 and are now required for use in 39 states. According to How2Recycle, RICs aim to "assist in the identification of resin types for the recycling and plastics industries." In other words, RICs serve the plastics and recycling industries, not necessarily these industries' consumers. The American Society for Testing and Materials states that RICs are not “recycle codes,” do not imply inherent recyclability, and should not be in close proximity to environmental claims (including recyclability). Consumer testing by GreenBlue and other organizations show that the majority of the public does not understand RICs. Consumer interpretations have ranged from a plastics “grade,” popularity, number of times it was recycled, to the presumption that an RIC means something is recyclable. In addition, RICs are not universally found on bags, films, or other product packaging because of varying legislation and interpretations of the guidelines in the photo below.

We've determined that RICs aren't the most effective way to determine if a product is recyclable. How can we label our products so that they do educate consumers about recyclability? How2Recycle is working to answer this question.
The How2Recycle Label™
The How2Recycle™ Label is a voluntary, standardized labeling system that clearly communicates recycling instructions to the public. How2Recycle has recently developed a new recycling label to provide consistent and transparent on-package recycling information to consumers. Currently the label only applies to packaging sold in the U.S., with a few select labels available for packaging sold in Canada. The How2Recycle Label is compatible with RICs, however  How2Recycle recommends revamping the RICs "to be more useful to the plastics community while removing the chasing arrows because of confusion surrounding their meaning." 

Widely Recycled
If you see the simple, three chasing arrows on a product, it is safe for you to assume you can recycle it in an on-campus recycling bin or your curbside bin at home. Common examples of these items are cereal boxes, plastic water or soda bottles (but not their caps!), and plastic take-out containers. Double check on a certain item here!
Limited Recycling 
Every area's recycling program is different. Click here to check if it is possible to recycle a certain item in your area. 
Not Yet Recycled
It is likely that this item is not recyclable in your area. Items that are not yet recyclable at the University of Michigan are PVC, styrofoam, and napkins. Double check on a certain item here!
Store Drop-Off
A wide variety of plastic bags, films, and wraps can go in plastic bag recycling bins at your favorite grocery store or retailer. This includes items with the How2Recycle Store Drop-Off label and bags and films using Resin Identification Codes #2 and #4. These items cannot go in to curbside bins. In fact, less than 10% of Americans can put these items in their curbside bin, making store drop-off a great recycling solution. To find out what you can recycle in these bins, and to find recycling locations, click here.

Look out for these new How2Recycle labels, because they are already being printed on packaging! The photo to the right is of a Cheez It box, and it is communicating that the paper box is recyclable, and the plastic bag in which the crackers come is recyclable, if clean and dry, at a local grocery store. You can click here to check which local grocery stores accept these clean & dry plastic bags.

Check out the U-M Waste Reduction and Recycling Office website for more information about what can be recycled on campus and how to recycle uncommon items such as batteries, inkjet cartridges, and hardcover books.

References

"How2Recycle - 2014 Annual Report." How2Recycle (2014): 3-50.How2Recycle.com. Sustainable Packaging Coalition, 2014. Web. 1 June 2015. <http://www.how2recycle.info/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/How2RecycleAnnualReport2014.pdf>.

Are our products designed to create waste?

What do you do with a product when you're done using it? 
On campus, 65.48% of all waste produced is thrown away, to a landfill. Let's consider, for a moment, what a landfill is in the context of a product's life. A landfill is essentially a product graveyard, where all the materials that make up and package our products go to "die." Currently, most products are designed to become obsolete, be disposed of, and be transported out of sight to a landfill. Please refer to Figure 1; the current system through which our products are generated is linear. Products are produced, used, and then disposed of, and the cycle stops there. 

Figure 1

Defining Product Life Cycle Analysis

Figure 2

This method through which we've been looking at a product's life is called a product lifecycle analysis. According to the Renewable Energy Corporation, a product lifecycle analysis (LCA) is "an assessment into the ‘cradle to grave’ environmental impact of a product from the beginnings of its manufacture to its eventual ‘retirement’ or recycling." A number of new approaches to the traditional product lifecycle analysis (shown in Figure 1) have emerged. One of which is the life cycle assessed by the Renewable Energy Corporation (seen in Figure 2).We can already see that this is a more closed-loop system, recycling its waste from end-of-use right into the design and creation of a new product. This life cycle, however, still involves the disposal of some waste materials and the incorporation of some new raw materials. It would be ideal if each product were produced in an entirely closed-loop system, with all waste being utilized to generate new products.   

Examining the "Cradle to Cradle" approach

Figure 3

Another alternative approach to the traditional product life cycle is the biomimetic cradle-to-cradle approach. Cradle-to-cradle models human industry on nature's processes, viewing materials as nutrients circulating in sustainable, waste-less cycles. Interested in learning more about cradle-to-cradle? Michael Braungart and William McDonough wrote an entire book on it.

Companies popular on campus are leading the way 

Nike has set up the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program. The program grinds down used athletic shoes (28 million pairs of shoes have been placed into their shredder box) and turns them into new athletic centers and new products like a Nike jacket. Click here to find a store near campus.

Patagonia is closing the loop with their Ironclad Guarantee; any unsatisfied customer can return a product for repair. Many fraternities on campus purchase gear from Patagonia - next time your fracket tears, send it back for a repair!



Coca-Cola, like Patagonia, is encouraging their customer base to recycle their product. Coke's Reimagine Beverage Containers recycling centers provide interactive collection kiosks which encourage customers to recycle. More than 45 million containers have been recycled since the Reimagine program launched in the Dallas area in late 2010. 



References
"Cradle-to-cradle Design." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle-to-cradle_design>.

Delivering a Sustainable Railway. London: Stationery Office, 2007. Wind & Sun: Powering the Future. Renewable Energy Corporation. Web. 26 May 2015. <http://www.windandsun.co.uk/media/913/rec-life-cycle-analysis-brochure.pdf>.

"Municipal Solid Waste." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 26 May 2015. <http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/>.

"Nike Better World." Nike. Nike, n.d. Web. 26 May 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nike.com%2Fus%2Fen_us%2Fc%2Fbetter-world%2Freuse-a-shoe>.

"Patagonia - Repairs, Returns & Recycling." Patagonia - Repairs, Returns & Recycling. Patagonia, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015. <http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=5175>.

Richardson, Alison L. "Building Recycling Rates | Recycling | Plant Operations, UofM." Building Recycling Rates | Recycling | Plant Operations, UofM. Plant Operations at the University of Michigan, 22 Aug. 2014. Web. 27 May 2015. <http://www.plantops.umich.edu/grounds/recycle/building_recycling_rates.php>.

I support composting at U-M, but what exactly does that mean?

As members of the University of Michigan community, we all encourage the composting of food waste and other biodegradable materials on campus. But do we know that composting is already happening in certain parts of campus? Or where can we compost our food waste? Or what composting really is?
First off...what is composting?
Let's make sure we all have a basic understanding of what composting is before we discuss how it can be implemented. Composting is a purposefully managed natural process,  during which organic materials (i.e. food waste, yard waste, plants, etc.) decompose into a nutrient-rich substance known as "compost," which is effectively used as a soil in local gardens and farms. So, your banana peel isn't "compost," but rather food waste that, if disposed of properly, can be turned into compost. 
         Quick note: Composting is distinctly different from decomposition and                 
         biodegradation. For an item to be compostable, it must break down within 180 
         days. For an item to be biodegradable, it simply must break down "over a period of 
         time," and an item only decomposes if it is organic and not purposefully managed.
Another important distinction to note is between pre- and post-consumer waste.

Pre-consumer waste: Material that is discarded before it is ready for consumer use. For example, if a restaurant prepares a fruit salad with an orange in it, the orange peel would be an example of pre-consumer waste.




Post-consumer waste: Material that is discarded after it has been given to the consumer. For example, if you go to Sava's and don't finish your meal (an act which I don't personally see as a possibility at Sava's) the remainder of your meal is compostable, post-consumer waste.

Are we composting at U of M?
Of course! We've been composting pre-consumer food waste since 1997. Plant Building & Grounds Services composts all yard waste generated by the University and uses this compost in flower beds across campus. Campus-generated food waste is taken to WeCare Organics, is converted into compost there, then the compost is sold to local farmers and homeowners as a nutrient-rich soil.

A number of buildings on campus are running a compost program. These include...

Dining Halls: We have pre-consumer composting at all dining halls, the Union, the League, Pierpont Commons, Palmer Commons, and Mujo Cafe. Post-consumer composting is being practiced at East Quad, South Quad, North Quad, and Bursley. This means that when you have a meal at East Quad with friends, your food scraps are composted! Michigan Dining is also working toward post-consumer composting at the rest of their locations! 
Stephen M. Ross School of Business: Ross has compost bins directly next to the recycling bins for you to put your food waste in. Ross sends its food waste to a composting facility separate from the University's contract with WeCare Organics.
Zero Waste Events: 
         Student Group Events: Are you in a student group? The Student Sustainability 
         Initiative (SSI) provides compostable dining materials (plates, 
         silverware, and cups) for student groups through their Zero Waste Program. There 
         are compost bins at the Union and the Electrical Engineering 
         and Computer Science (EECS) building on North Campus for student groups to drop 
         off their compostable waste in.
         Sporting Events: A number of Athletics Department events are now Zero 
         Waste, including wrestling, field hockey, and baseball.
         Spring Commencement: University 
         Development Events is planning to 
         make Spring Commencement 2015 at the                  Big House a Zero Waste Event for the 
         fourth year in a row.
The Dana Building: There is a compost bin in the first floor kitchen of Dana for activities occurring in the building, including the use of the kitchen by students and faculty, as well as any events held at Dana. If you would like to use the compost bin, please contact DanaCompostCrew@umich.edu. You will need to go through a brief, 15-minute training to receive a key for access to the bin. The training is a necessary aspect of the program as it prevents contamination of the composted waste.

The Dana Compost Program is unique in that it was implemented by not only Dana's Facilities Manager, Sucila Fernandes, but by a group of School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) students including Benjamin Kunstman, Sophie Chen, Montana Stevenson, Gabriel Jones, and Michael Burbidge. The group worked to put together a timeline for the project, conduct a student interest survey, and present a proposal to the Dean of SNRE, Marie Lynn Miranda. Dean Miranda encouraged the team to perform a waste sort, in order to assess whether a composting program would significantly reduce Dana's waste stream. The group performed the waste audit with the help of other SNRE and Program in the Environment (PitE) students and found that, on average, over 40% of Dana's waste stream was compostable by weight. These results showed that a composting program would have the potential to significantly reduce Dana's waste stream, and the program received approval from Michael Moore, an Associate Dean and Professor at SNRE. The program has been running since January 2015 and roughly 45 people have been trained to use the compost bin. Plant Building & Grounds Services, another essential component of the implementation of this program, makes sure the composted waste is transported from the Dana Building to the WeCare Organics Compost Center. The Dana Compost Crew (DanaCompostCrew@umich.edu) would be a great resource to anyone interested in implementing a compost program at another campus building!


Where does the food waste go after it leaves campus?

Food waste that is composted on campus is sent to the WeCare Organics Ann Arbor Compost Center at 4150 Platt Road in Ann Arbor. U-M Plant Operations collects this food waste from the various sites across campus, and dumps it at the WeCare Compost Center. From there it is formed into long piles called windrows, as seen in the above photo, and begins to aerobically compost. Compost from this site is then sold to local farmers, landscapers and homeowners.

Questions? Go to U-M Waste Reduction and Recycling Office's website and click on "Composting" on the left hand tab (see below!), or email recycle@umich.edu.

What are the sustainability-related organizations on U-M's campus?

At a campus this large, it can be hard to navigate all of the different sustainability efforts. Hopefully you've seen Rufus around by now, but do you know which office Rufus works for? Have you heard of the Planet Blue Student Leaders? Do you know they are a part of of the Graham Sustainability Institute? Do you see how this can get confusing? I'm here to clear up the fuzziness.

Operational Offices

Let's start with some of the offices that make sustainability happen here on campus, which include Parking and Transportation, Grounds, Planet Blue Operations Teams, Energy Management, and others. In order to keep this blog post to a readable length, I have decided to focus on the Office of Campus Sustainability and the Waste Reduction and Recycling Office.

The Office of Campus Sustainability (OCS), is the go-to office for general sustainability questions on campus. Managed by Andy Berki and directed by Terry Alexander, OCS leads a number of impactful sustainability initiatives on campus. Every year, the office organizes a Sustainability Town Hall, at which yours truly presented in 2014. They are also responsible for the E-Waste Recycling Event that has occurred each spring beginning in 2008. In collaboration with Central Student Government, OCS has helped put up Water Refill Stations at over 100 locations across campus. The Sustainable Lab Recognition Program and the Sustainable Workplace program are also run by OCS. These programs aim to certify offices and laboratories on campus as sustainable through an online self-assessment, an on-site visit from an OCS Sustainability Representative, and an assessment of the workplace’s sustainability rating and ways to improve. You can contact OCS at ocs_contact@umich.edu.

The Waste Reduction and Recycling Office (WRRO), within Plant Operations, oversees recycling, waste reduction and composting programs. This office is staffed by Tracy Artley, Plant Building and Grounds Services sustainability programs coordinator, and Alison Richardson, recycling coordinator. WRRO is currently administering the RecycleMania program, in which campus competes to see who can reduce their waste and recycle the most! See our RecycleMania blog post for more information about this competition. WRRO also organizes Rufus Mondays, which is when the university's recycling mascot, Rufus the Recycler, goes out on campus and engages with students! You can find Rufus and his wrangler on campus each Monday between 10:30am and noon! If you have any questions about recycling or composting on campus, email recycle@umich.edu!

Quick note: You've probably seen this logo around campus:

There is no "Planet Blue" office, rather Planet Blue is the brand that is associated with all the sustainability-related initiatives occurring across operations, academics and research at U-M. 

Academic Office

Another important sustainability office on campus is the Graham Sustainability Institute. Directed by Don Scavia, Graham runs an Education Center, a Water Center, Climate Center, and an Integrated Assessment Center. A number of really cool research projects are being conducted by these centers; the Water Center, for example, is currently doing research on Lake Erie’s algal blooms. of The Education Center runs the Planet Blue Student Leader Program, the Planet Blue Ambassador Program, and the Planet Blue Student Innovation Fund. The Planet Blue Student Leader program helps to train students living University Housing to be sustainability spokespeople for their dorms. The Planet Blue Ambassador Program aims to train all members of the U-M community to be ambassadors for sustainability here at U-M. Lastly, the Planet Blue Student Innovation Fund funds student-led sustainability projects up to $50,000. You can email Graham at graham-institute@umich.edu.

Student-led Organizations

There are countless student groups working toward a more sustainable campus and world. The Student Sustainability Initiative (SSI) is a board of five students dedicated to bringing together all of the various sustainability-related student groups at their monthly roundtables, which typically occur the third or fourth Tuesday of every month. The next SSI Roundtable is on February 24th from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. They also manage the Zero Waste Event Grant Program, through which they provide funding for any student group wanting to make their events Zero Waste. They also oversee a small scale grant funding program which awards grants of up to $1,000 for individuals or teams working on environmental projects on campus.

Among the many other student groups on campus dedicated to sustainability are the Greek Life Sustainability Team (GLIST), the LSA TREEs Sub Committee of the Student Life Committee (Taking Responsibility for the Earth and Environment), the Program in the Environment (PitE) Club, Net Impact Undergrad Chapter, HaYerukim, the PermaCulture Design Team, BLUELab, MHEAL, the Solar Car Team, A2Share, Ann Arbor Soup, Divest and Invest Campaign, Friends of the Campus Farm, Kill-a-Watt, Leaders for Environmental Awareness and Discussion, Solar Spring Break, Food Recovery Network, Student Food Co, Students for Clean Energy, Sustainability Without Borders, etc. You can find out more about these groups on Maize Pages!

That's all, folks! I hope I cleared up any confusion. If you have any further questions, email sarahcp@umich.edu and either I will find an answer for you or direct you to someone who can help!

Recyclemania 2015: Battle of the Buildings

Hello Recyclers! 
Get geared up for RecycleMania: Battle of the Buildings!

This logo was retrieved here.

What is RecycleMania?
RecycleMania 2015 is a 10-week, nationwide waste reduction and recycling competition that begins on January 18th and ends March 28th. Last year, over 461 colleges and university across the United States and Canada competed, composting and recycling a total sum of 85.6 million pounds. There are many different awards won by a number of schools, including a grand champion which has the highest diversion rate, per capita classic, which is the pounds of total waste per capita, waste minimization, which is the lbs. total waste per capita, and gorilla, the total recycling weight. Those are the four categories in which U-M Ann Arbor will be competing. Last year, Antioch University, a private liberal arts university in Seattle, won the grand champion prize with a 93.1% recycling rate. This year marks the tenth year of the University of Michigan participating in RecycleMania. 

What is Battle of the Buildings?
Battle of the Buildings is the U-M Ann Arbor campus-specific building vs. building competition to determine which building can achieve the highest diversion rate and lowest amount of trash! The Argus II Building won the competition for highest recycling rate last year, averaging a rate of 63.3%. Battle of the Buildings also features a Most Improved Recycling Rate competition that compares each building's 2014 recycling rate with its 2015 recycling rate, which the LSA Building won last year! Each building not only competes with every other building on campus, but also with buildings of similar function - for example, East Quad competes against Markley for highest residential building recycling rate.
How has the University of Michigan done historically?

This logo was retrieved from recyclemania.com.

The recycling rate for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, according to the 2014 RecycleMania results, is 29.1%, ranking 120th. Michigan State, little brother to University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, ranked 105th with a diversion rate of 31.29%. The Ohio State University did not compete in RecycleMania in 2014, but in 2013 we were only two ranks behind them - OSU ranked 109th with a diversion rate of 31.3% and we ranked 111th with a diversion rate of 31.1%. We were so close!
What part can I play in RecycleMania?

This is a photo of Rufus the Recycler, the official
mascot of the U-M Office of Waste Reduction and
Recycling. This photo was taken by the
Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling.

Are you a University of Michigan faculty member? At your next department meeting, bring up RecycleMania and ensure that knowledge of the competition and that of waste reduction and recycling is up to date among your colleagues. Identify any waste materials commonly produced by members of your department and the proper waste receptacle they belong in. Any questions can be directed toward recycle@umich.edu. Also, talk to the facilities manager of your building to ensure that you are signed up to compete. If not, the link to sign up is available here. The deadline to register is Friday, January 23rd. Your building will get weekly updates on its status against the other schools.
Are you a University of Michigan staff member? Talk to the facilities manager of your building to ensure that you are signed up to compete. If not, the link to sign up is available here. The deadline to register is Friday, January 23rd. Your building will get weekly updates on its status against the other schools. Any questions can be directed toward recycle@umich.edu.
Are you a University of Michigan student? If you live in a dorm, talk to your RA about arranging a RecycleMania awareness event so that you can discuss the competition with your hall-mates. Casually discuss with your hall-mates the competition and which waste items they frequently produce that are recyclable. If you live off-campus, talk with your roommates about the competition and how it is especially important to recycle on campus during these ten weeks. Also, attend the RecycleMania Kick-Off in all on-campus dining halls on January 20th! Times of the kick-off are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Any questions can be directed toward recycle@umich.edu.

Also, look out for Rufus the Recycler, the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling's mascot, on campus every Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.!

References
"2013." 2013. Recyclemania, 2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2015.
"2014." 2014. Recyclemania, 2014. Web. 09 Jan. 2015.

"About." Recyclemania. Recyclemania, 2014. Web. 09 Jan. 2015.
Artley, Tracy, and Alison Richardson. "RecycleMania | Recycling | Plant Operations, UofM." RecycleMania | Recycling | Plant Operations, UofM. Waste Reduction and Recycling Office I Plant Operations U of M, 15 Dec. 2014. Web. 15 Jan. 2015.