Starting Up a Recycling Program
Recyclable Materials
Recycling Markets
Recycling Equipment
Recycling Resources

Campus recycling programs range from small collaborations with local recyclers to large operations with processing facilities right on the campus. What is right for your campus will depend on many factors. This section contains general information on campus recycling that has been gleaned from a number of programs. For more detailed information and technical assistance, it is recommended that you directly contact campus recycling programs and organizations listed in the Recycling Resources section below.

Step 1: Seek support for a recycling program
The most successful campus recycling programs have emerged from collaborations among all levels of college administration, academics, and operations. Interestingly, the initiative for the majority of campus recycling programs has come from students or faculty! The first step in setting up a recycling program is to identify and build a support base from as wide a representation as possible. An ideal planning committee would include student leaders, faculty, operations staff, and administrators. The purpose of this group will be to identify program goals, resources, hurdles, and possible solutions from their various perspectives.

Step 2: Research
The next phases of program development involve researching the current campus waste situation. On many campuses, students complete this research for credit (See Education for more examples.) Annual monitoring allows each new class of students to gain valuable experience, while providing long-term data for waste generation, reduction and recycling efforts.

Research should include:
Recycling efforts already underway on campus, what is recycled and how much, who is handling it and how, costs and savings, problems and successes. It would also be helpful to look at past efforts to recycle on campus, why they did or didn't work, and recycling in the surrounding community. You may be able to link your program with other local recycling programs.

Government mandates for the college to recycle. Many colleges are under local, state and/or federal mandate to recycle a certain portion of their waste stream, to purchase a percentage of recycled products, or to reduce wastes. A program designed to help the campus meet requirements is more likely to have administrative support.

Campus policies on waste reduction, disposal, recycling and the purchase of recycled products. Learn how these policies are viewed, implemented, and enforced.

The college's waste disposal budget. Determine if disposal costs are centralized or handled by various departments. Likewise determine if disposal avoidance costs are realized as savings to the department that implements the recycling or waste reduction efforts. One problem on some campuses is that disposal costs are paid from a central budget, while recycling costs must be borne by the department that implements recycling. This is a disincentive that may need to be addressed through recommendations to the administration from your committee.

Conduct a waste audit to determine volumes and types of materials generated on campus, costs of disposal, and the recycling potential. On many campuses, students perform the waste audits for credit as part of curriculum in anthropology, sociology, engineering, environmental studies or other subjects.

Available markets for recycled materials. You will want to start with the yellow pages and with contacts provided by local recycling programs, state recycling offices, or nearby campuses. A list of recyclable materials, along with national contact information is provided under the Recyclable Materials section. More information on Recycling Markets is provided below.