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Rice Recycling Results
NEW! Q1-Q3 2006 recycling results - click here!
Composition of Waste Stream, 2005
The following data presents an overview of the composition of Rice University's municipal solid waste stream for 2005. Our total diversion rate was approximately 22%. We attempt to follow EPA's method for characterizing municipal solid waste and measuring recycling as closely as possible to allow for accurate comparisons with other institutions and entities that use this standard.
| Rice University Solid Waste and Recycling Totals (1) |
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| Materials by method of discard |
Q1 2005 |
Q2 2005 |
Q3 2005 |
Q4 2005 |
CY 2005 |
| A. Recycled Materials |
tons |
tons |
tons |
tons |
tons |
| -- Paper |
62.42 |
66.27 |
75.95 |
71.42 |
276.06 |
| -- Cardboard (2) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
10.08 |
8.82 |
18.90 |
| -- Glass |
0.91 |
1.33 |
1.53 |
1.30 |
5.07 |
| -- Plastic #1 - PETE |
0.00 |
0.42 |
0.50 |
0.18 |
1.10 |
| -- Plastic #2 - HDPE |
0.00 |
0.30 |
0.30 |
0.11 |
0.71 |
| -- Electronics |
5.26 |
0.02 |
5.20 |
3.70 |
14.18 |
| -- Scrap Metal |
3.56 |
3.15 |
9.89 |
6.74 |
23.34 |
| -- Tires |
0.56 |
0.00 |
0.82 |
0.43 |
1.81 |
| -- Aluminum (3) |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.07 |
0.07 |
| total recycled |
72.71 |
71.49 |
104.27 |
92.77 |
341.24 |
| B. Composted Materials |
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| -- Food scraps (4) |
2.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
2.00 |
6.00 |
| -- Yard waste (5), (6) |
30.00 |
30.00 |
30.00 |
30.00 |
120.00 |
| total composted |
32.00 |
32.00 |
30.00 |
32.00 |
126.00 |
| C. Disposed Materials (7) |
413.51 |
439.64 |
402.22 |
427.96 |
1683.33 |
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| Total Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) (8) |
518.22 |
543.13 |
536.49 |
552.73 |
2150.57 |
| Total Diverted Materials (recycled + composted) |
104.71 |
103.49 |
134.27 |
124.77 |
467.24 |
| % MSW Diverted (diversion rate) (9) |
20.21% |
19.05% |
25.03% |
22.57% |
21.73% |
Notes:
- This calculation follows as closely as possible the EPA guidelines for measuring recycling
- While cardboard is collected and baled all year long, pick-up is irregular.
- Although aluminum is recycled on campus, actual weights are not available
- This is an estimate based on 2 tons per Earth Tub cycle
- This is an estimate based on 1 ton of yard waste recycled or composted per acre of grounds per year, not including grass
- Grasscycling from mulching mowers is not included, as per EPA guidelines
- Disposal data from the Greenbriar front-end loader is not available.
- Total municipal solid waste is the sum of recycled + composted + disposal
- Total diversion rate equals (recycled + composted) / total municipal solid waste
Historic Annual Recycling Data
Note that while aluminum was collected for recycling from 1995-2004, no data is available regarding the total amount recycled.
Plastics recycling (#1 and #2) officially became part of the Rice recycling program in late 2004. Plastic #1, or Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE), consists of plastic water and soda bottles. Plastic #2, or High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), is commonly used for milk jugs and detergrent bottles.
If you have any questions about this data, please feel free to contact Richard Johnson at (713) 348-5003.
Events, Programs, and Surveys
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Reusable mug program - This program seeks to reduce the amount of paper and styrofoam cups used in "to go" orders in food service on campus
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2004 Student Move Out - As the students prepared to move out for the summer, we had Goodwill Industries bring out an 18-wheeler trailer from April 27th 2004 -- May 7th 2004. The students placed clothes, desk, books, shoes, household goods, appliances, radios, bikes, bookshelves, old computers and furniture in the trailer. The recycling crew providing assistance with moving items. Housing and Dining personnel also placed items in the trailer from the colleges. By the end of the recycling drive on May 7th the trailer was almost completely filled with reusable goods!
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Graduate Student Loan Closet - A project of the Faculty Women's Club to help grad students with loans of furniture, kitchen supplies and other items.
Rice Classifieds - Surplus property is offered for re-use to other departments as well as to individuals through a bid process.
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Rice Departmental Recycling Survey Results - In October 1998, Ryan McMullan conducted a departmental survey via the ALLDEPTS listserv inquiring as to the prevalence and participation of recycling in Rice's departments.
Last updated: March 2, 2007
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