Is This Recyclable?

 Have you ever wondered why a certain product or material is recyclable in one city but not another? Oftentimes, what you can and cannot recycle depends on your location and the kind of facility processing the recyclables in that area. Recycling facilities are responsible for sorting through waste, baling the material, and selling it to vendors for reuse. Recycling facilities determine what is and isn’t recyclable based on the market for their recyclables and the availability of vendors.

The University of Michigan collaborates with the Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority to provide single stream recycling to the University community. Most of the plastic, paper, cardboard, and metal you use can easily be recycled here on campus, but there are some exceptions...

Glass

Starting January 2016, U-M suspended its glass recycling program and asked the U-M community to not place glass in the mixed recycling bins on campus. While glass is an easily recyclable material, the market for selling recycled glass has diminished in recent years. In response, the Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority suspended its glass recycling program when the only option  for glass was to send it to a landfill.

Wax Coated Cardboard

Wax coated cardboard is typically used for shipping food, because the wax coating repels water and prevents contamination and infestation. Unfortunately, there’s no way to remove the wax from the cardboard. When this material is recycled, it produces a lower quality paper that is prone to breaking. While there are some municipalities that provide outlet for recycled wax coated cardboard, it is not provided at U-M.

Tip: Unsure if a box is wax coated? Try scratching the material, and if you feel the wax, then it's coated, if not, then the material is most likely shiny paperboard, which can be recycled!

Frozen Food Containers In Direct Contact With Frozen Food

Similar to wax coated cardboard, frozen food containers are made from cardboard coated in polyethylene, or a plastic coating. While this plastic coating helps with food storage by repelling water and preventing freezer burn, it cannot be removed from the cardboard to be recycled.

Tip: Ice cream containers and frozen spinach containers should go in the landfill bin.

Biodegradable Plastic

Biodegradable plastic is perhaps the most greenwashed product on the market. Products made from biodegradable plastic cannot be recycled because of structural incompatibilities with all other types of plastic. What’s more, biodegradable plastics cannot be composted either. The term biodegradable is misleading because it implies that the plastic will break down over time, similar to compostables. However, unlike compostable materials, there is no standardized time range for biodegradables to break down in nor is there regulation of product labeling.

Tip: If you’re at a U-M hosted Zero-Waste Event, there’s no need to worry about the quality of plastic. All materials used at these events can be composted!

Knowing which items cannot be recycled on campus can help us reduce recycling contamination. Recycling contamination is the portion of non recyclable materials found in recycling. Reducing contamination helps to prevent unsafe working conditions for sorters, maintain the quality of our recyclables, and prevent damage to machinery.

The new standardized recycling labels on campus are an effort to reduce contamination rates by showing the U-M community exactly what should go into the recycling bin. So if the product you’re trying to recycle is not on the sign, place it in the landfill bin or contact recycle@umich.edu with your questions!

Find a complete list of recyclable materials and recycling outlets at recycle.umich.edu.

Eat Ugly Food, Reduce Food Waste

Twitter @UglyFruitAndVeg

How do you decide which fresh foods end up in your grocery cart? If you’re like most people, you go by how they look.

The moment we walk into the grocery store, we are met with a colorful variety of produce. What’s interesting is that we shoppers expect every individual fruit or veggie to look perfect. We often think that how the produce looks will determine its quality. However, that is decidedly false. Smaller produce, slightly misshapen produce, and blemished produce are just as nutritious and taste equally as yummy, if not better, than their perfectly formed counterparts.

Why should we care that “ugly food” gets a bad rap? Consumers have power, and when we use our eyes to pick produce, we send a message to farmers and grocery stores that we only want perfect looking foods. This means that a shocking amount of ugly food--food that does not meet grocery store’s aesthetic standards--is wasted before it even gets to the grocery store.

Twitter @UglyFruitAndVeg

The EPA estimates that 31% (133 billion pounds) of food is wasted each year. This large amount of food waste sent to landfills contributes to 18% of total U.S. methane emissions. Much of wasted food is nutritious and safe to eat, but has been thrown away because it fails to meet aesthetic standards, portion sizes are too large, use by labels are misread, and for many other reasons.

Fruits and vegetables very rarely grow in the ideal shape, size, and color commonly sold in grocery stores across the country. In fact, it takes many extra resources, like water, fertilizer, and pesticides, in order to produce those magazine ready fruits and veggies.

What can we do help reduce food waste?

Twitter @UglyFruitAndVeg

Buy ugly food at the grocery store!

Try to find produce retailers near you that sell “ugly food”

Shop at your local farmer’s market

Make a list and only buy what you need from the store

Eat left overs first before you make a new meal

What is U-M doing to reduce food waste?

The University of Michigan composts pre and post-consumer food waste at its dining halls. This fall also welcomes a new pilot post consumer composting program at the Fields Cafe!

Greenwashed Games for a Blue Planet

Since winning the the bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics in 2009, Rio de Janeiro set ambitious goals for the environmental efficacy of its games. “Green Games for a Blue Planet” is this year’s theme for the Olympics. The world had high hopes for the proposed sustainability of Rio 2016, especially with Brazil’s reputation for producing 85% of its energy from renewable sources. However, as the games approach, it’s apparent that Rio is struggling to meet their foremost sustainability goals.

The Sustainability Management Plan: Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games outlined multiple objectives. The objectives grouped under the theme of “environmental conservation and clean-up” included the following:

1. “Minimize the impact on the existing ecosystems at the Olympic and Paralympic facilities and their immediate surroundings
2. Promote the environmental clean-up of bodies of water in the regions of the Games.
3. Strengthen and accelerate environmental protection, conservation, restoration and rehabilitation programmes.
4. Expand monitoring of air and water quality in the Games regions”

Many of the headlines you’ve probably seen in the past few weeks paint a dirtier, more polluted picture of the progress made in Rio.

Troubled waters: How Rio’s trash problem goes far beyond the Olympics -Waste Dive

Rio has broken its promise of an environment-friendly Olympics -Vice news

AP Investigation: Olympic athletes to swim and boat in Rio waters awash in viruses, bacteria -Fox News

7 Major Environmental Issues Already Spoiling the Rio Olympics -EcoWatch

While Rio has made some progress towards these goals, ultimately the environmental pledges remain ineffective. The failure of Rio to meet its own ambitious goals is reminiscent of Sochi’s failure at zero waste for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

What does it mean for promises of sustainability to be repeatedly disregarded on the world stage? Promising to clean up waterways and conserve threatened ecosystems cannot be eye catching, empty promises used to greenwash a world event like the Olympics. These are very real issues felt by both the residents of Rio as well as the half of a million tourists and athletes visiting for the games.

Will we see an Olympics where sustainability goals are followed through and not used to simply secure the bid?

At many organizations, goals are used to kickstart sustainability efforts and encourage the community to partake in these efforts. The University of Michigan has multiple goals that guide us toward sustainability. Visit Planet Blue’s website to learn more about U-M’s goals, the actions being taken towards meeting these goals, and the people making real change.

New Additions to Campus and Upcoming Events

Excited for the new semester to begin? When you get back to campus there are a few changes you’ll want to look for as well as some sustainability events to mark on your calendar!

New to Campus

15 more Water Bottle Refill Stations

4 more gooseneck attachments to water fountains for filling water bottles

More water refill stations in high traffic areas means less plastic bottles thrown out on campus. So make sure to carry a reusable water bottle around and to refill it at one of the many refill stations or water fountains!

Sustainable Living Experience

This fall the Oxford Houses, located just across the street from the Nichols Arboretum, will be home to the University’s first ever Sustainable Living Experience. This residential community will foster environmentally-minded students that will act as sustainability leaders on campus. Students participating in the Sustainable Living Experience will have access to pre- and post-consumer composting at Oxford’s Twigs dining hall as well as fresh fruits and veggies from the onsite garden.

ArborBike | Instagram

ArborBike Stations

Don’t worry if you forgot your bike! ArborBike stations are located across campus with a new location coming to the corner of South Forest and Washtenaw. These bikes can also be returned to any station. They are the perfect solution to getting around campus or town without having to drive or take the bus!

Pop Up Gardens

If you’re out walking or biking the campus, make sure to stop at the various pop-up gardens before the season is over! Growing food locally is a great way to avoid packaging and reduce waste.

Fall Sustainability Events You Shouldn't Miss

M Farmers Market

Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables on Thursday, September 16 and Thursday, October 13 at the M Farmers market on Central Campus and on Thursday, September 29 and Thursday, October 27 on North Campus! Exact locations to be announced. Check here for new information!

EarthFest: Party for the Planet

On Wednesday, September 21 head to the diag for free food, live entertainment, games, and loads of information and fun centered on sustainability for our campus and planet!

Hang Out With Rufus On Campus

Rufus the Recycler will back this fall with his visits to the diag. Spoiler: Rufus is getting an updated look this summer so come prepared for pictures with the most stylish recycler on campus. Dates and times to be announced.

Eco-Friendly Moving Guide

August approaches with the reminder that student move in is on its way! U-M residence halls and off campus neighborhoods will be welcoming back thousands of students along with their overstuffed boxes and suitcases.

Packing and moving in and out can produce a lot of waste from the things left behind to the packing materials used to protect breakables. So whether you are moving into the dorms or between leases, this moving guide will help you reduce waste and divert waste from landfills!

Planning Ahead

Instead of waiting to pack the night before, sort through your belongings a few weeks in advance to figure out exactly what you’ll be bringing with you. Organize the items that didn’t make the cut so that they can be donated, recycled or properly disposed. Find out where you can dispose medications, harsh cleaning products, and unwanted electronics in your town. These items can release harmful chemicals into the environment if they are flushed down the drain or placed in landfills.

Try not to go grocery shopping the week before you move. Instead, use up anything fresh in your refrigerator and eat up all of your frozen veggies. This will help you reduce the amount of food waste you’ll throw out come moving day. If you can’t eat everything up, bring it with you or put it in the compost bin!

Packing

Image by Ashley Poskin
via apartmenttherapy.com

Coordinate with friends, family, or local businesses to find out if they have spare cardboard boxes for you to reuse and pack your belongings in.

Before you begin stuffing boxes with newspaper, consider using linens, towels, rags, or even socks to protect breakables during the move. When you run out of reusable packing materials, take advantage of newspapers and old school work that can be recycled at your new place. It’s best to avoid materials like packing peanuts made from styrofoam because they are often not recyclable. Go to www.recycleannarbor.org if you’re moving to a place off campus to find out what materials can be recycled.

Reduce the number of cardboard boxes and save space by packing clothing in laundry baskets and suitcases. To make moving clothes into your new closet even easier, just twist a rubber band around the hooks of your hangers and move the clothes in a cluster- no packing materials necessary and you won't have to spend time rehanging every shirt!

Move In

Congratulations! You’ve successfully moved all of your stuff into your new place. Before you settle back into college life though, make sure to collapse and recycle cardboard boxes and plastics. You may also want to keep the cardboard boxes around for your next move or use them as a collection bin for future recyclables.

If you’ve just moved into a residence hall, follow your hall’s directions for how to take care of cardboard, bubble wrap, styrofoam, and packing peanuts. You can find more information about where/how to dispose of packing materials in the residence halls here.