Aquinas College, located in Grand Rapids (Michigan), has had an official commitment to campus sustainability since 2005. As a part of that extensive commitment, Aquinas signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment in September of 2008. In this pledge, Aquinas committed to becoming a zero waste to landfill campus by 2020.  The Center for Sustainability and Students Striving for Sustainability partnered to further Aquinas’ commitment to sustainability by moving forward the goal to achieve campus-wide zero municipal solid waste by 2014. A Zero…

Contamination is a big issue with many recycling stations; it’s a problem that needs to change. Garbage gets thrown into recycling bins all the time because people simply don’t know what goes where. That’s why it’s so important to properly communicate your program with signage on your containers. It lets the user know precisely what goes into which container without confusion, which is sure to increase your diversion rates. Now standard labels such as paper, plastic and waste on your bins are great, but with…

  We are a major University and have set high goals for our sustainability practices and most importantly for our recycling program. We acquired several hundred sets of the Busch Systems Waste Watcher to assist us in our collection points on campus. It was helpful for us to know that using the Waste Watchers was also a benefit to our sustainable goals in that they have a minimum of 35% recycled content. Since the acquisition of the Waste Watchers we have seen increases in our…

Desk side recycling bins have been popular for a number of years. However, it’s a small accessory that is helping to revolutionize our collection habits. By placing a simple Hanging Waste Basket onto the side of any recycling container, you are helping to make collection easy. As we know, easy collection makes for substantial change! Since the waste baskets are small, it can help discourage waste and increase recycling collection. Think of it like this: you have a recycling bin under your desk. The container…

When most people think of recycling bins, they visualize plastic or metal bins that represent the majority of what we all see (and use) on a regular basis. Public amenities such as malls and parks often have these familiar recycling bins that most have become accustomed to using. Although these recycling units are great solutions for these locations, they aren’t always ideal for indoor, office surroundings. Office work environments generate a great deal of recyclable material and waste, and because of this most companies at…