9:32 a.m., Nov. 6, 2008----The University of Delaware's single-stream recycling pilot, launched Sept. 1 on the Laird and South campuses, as well as at Delaware Stadium during home football games, has made recycling even more appealing, and recent numbers show promising results.

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By cutting the step of sorting and the clutter often associated with the multiple-bin system, the single-stream initiative, in just its first month, netted 28,190 pounds of recyclable waste at the two UD campuses where it's underway. And game day recyclers from the first four home games managed to rack up nearly nine tons of recyclables by using the 80 single-stream “toters” installed at the stadium on game days.

“The overall diversion rate for game day recycling is 27 percent,” said Drew Knab, a business and project analyst in UD's Office of the Executive Vice President who, along with Mike Loftus, assistant director of grounds services; and John Warren, director of academic custodial services; spearheaded the single-stream pilot. “And that's just from four games. What we're seeing with this initiative is that if you give people more opportunities to recycle, they'll recycle more, and they'll also think about it more, which is a big part of the sustainability initiative.”

Knab, who said that the University's target diversion rate for single-stream recycling is 30 percent, added that if the good response for the pilot continues at its current rate on the Laird and South campuses, the total projected amount of recyclables from these two areas would approach 134 tons at the end of the academic year.

“If September's level of capture--28,190 pounds--remains constant in the upcoming months,” Knab said, “the University will capture 134 tons of recyclables from these locations over the 2008-09 academic school year. This would result in a growth in total recyclable capture from 630 tons in 2007 to 764 tons--an increase of nearly 21 percent.”

Knab emphasized that even though the estimated recyclable diversion rate on Laird and South campuses for September, at approximately 21 percent, falls a little shy of the 30 percent goal, the real story lies in how quickly the single-stream initiative is catching on, and in how enthusiastically it's being embraced.

“Single-stream recycling systems can reach 50 percent diversion,” Knab said. “We're encouraged with the results from September, but the University will continue to strive to reach a 50 percent diversion rate.

“Before this single-stream initiative, we were only seeing about a 14 percent diversion rate from our recycling areas,” Knab added. “When we launched this pilot in September, our goal was to put a recycling program in place that was easier for our students, faculty and visitors to use.”

Loftus, who tracks the numbers, said that a noticeable increase in the amount of single-stream recyclables collected in October from the amount collected in September (a 1,810 pound increase) attests to the University community's growing interest in the effort.

“I think the increase has been pretty steady at Laird, athletics and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources,” Loftus said, “and there hasn't been much contamination in the bins. From the University's perspective and from my perspective, the initiative has been a real boost in keeping recyclable materials out of landfills.”

Stickers affixed to the 3,200 single-stream recycling containers distributed throughout the Laird and South campuses also got novice recyclers on board quickly and curbed mass confusion by spelling out what could--and what could not--be placed in the bins.

Knab said that a recent survey, disseminated to students on Laird and South campuses, also should spur the program on by giving participants a chance to offer feedback and ask questions that a new set of stickers might at some point address.

“Education is a big part of this initiative,” Knab said, “and I think the campus community is anxious to contribute more to recycling. This is part of the first phase. Everyone seems really happy that single-stream recycling has come to the University.”

Separated recycling locations also still exist on Central, North Central, East and West campuses, though as the city of Newark launches its single-stream recycling program this summer, these multiple-stream bins will become single-stream bins in the fall of 2009.

For more on recycling at UD, both single- and multiple-stream, go to [www.udel.edu/recycling].

Article by Becca Hutchinson
Graphic by Jeff Chase