University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
OP-18: Waste Diversion

Indoor and outdoor recycling programs exist for paper, cardboard, and beverage containers. Food waste from the back of the kitchen and dish lines is composted at both campus dining halls. All yard waste is mulched or composted. When students moved out of the residence halls in 2010, a program called Tar Heel Treasure ensured that old items in good shape would be reused rather than trashed. In 2009, more than 18 dumpsters worth of materials -- 10 tons -- were saved and resold at low prices in a community-wide sale. The weight of materials collected in 2010 is not reflected in the diversion tonnage above. In 2008, UNC piloted reusable plastic clamshell, takeout containers at the dining halls. Interested students paid a deposit for the container and then exchanged their used container for a clean one. In fall 2009 each student enrolled in a meal plan received a free reusable container, sponsored by a partnership between CDS, the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling, and the Sustainability Office. A program called One Less Cup encourages students to carry reusable mugs. Several coffee shops on campus provide stickers and discounts to students who do. Nike Reuse-A-Shoe chose UNC as a pilot campus for their program, which collects old shoes and turns the soles into athletic surfaces like basketball courts, playgrounds, and tracks. More than 900 pairs of shoes were collected from 25 bin locations during spring 2009. To help reduce overall paper waste, University Mail Services works with the Intra-Mail Network (IMN). In the past, undeliverable bulk mail, such as an improperly addressed catalogue, was deposited in a recycling bin in the mail center. Now, IMN works with participating commercial mailers to ensure that mail is deliverable. Correcting or eliminating the faulty addresses prior to mail out reduced the amount of paper discarded on campus by 4,405 pounds. These numbers are not reflected in the diversion tonnage above since they reflect waste reduction rather than diversion.