University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
OP-18: Waste Diversion

The ReUse Program was started in 1993 to divert reusable items from the landfill or incinerator. The program stores items and redistributes furniture and equipment around the University or resells it for public use. The University of Minnesota Reuse Program collects unwanted, reusable items from Housing and Residential Life (dorm) clean-outs. These items are donated to a non-profit in St. Paul called Families Helping Each Other, who in turn gives the items at no charge to a family in need. The items collected include clothing, food, toiletries, and household goods. Additionally picked up but not processed by ReUse are paper products. More recently, the U of M has begun working with gooddonor.org to set up collection boxes at the residence halls during move in and move out dates. The collection boxes will then go to various charities in the area. The U of M ReUse Program has partnered with Minnesota Technical Assistance Program to develop a virtual warehouse which links donors and users of reclaimed or otherwise reusable goods to one another without the use of ReUse staff serving as the middle man. Currently, MnTAP operates the Material Exchange, a software program which facilitates exchanges statewide. The plan includes updating and automating the statewide exchange software and creating software specific to University departments for use by faculty and staff.

To get materials recycled, we added the amount of aluminum and tin cans, cardboard and newspaper, yard waste and organics, glass, office paper, LDPE, HDPE, PET and polypropylene plastics. To get incinerated waste, we added the number of tons that went to the MSW Compactor with the MSW packer.