Waste and Recycling Programs
Our campus needs to utilize a variety of different materials to ensure a smooth operation and also find ways to manage the volume of waste generated by the campus operations in classrooms, laboratories, offices, and residence halls. A wide variety of different materials must be considered. and the Sustainability Office strives to ensure materials are diverted from the landfill whenever fiscally appropriate or if the material poses a particular hazard to the environment.
Please visit our Waste and Recycling Guide for detailed information on a number of materials you can recycle, including an “A-Z Recyclopedia.” The guide is in Google Docs format to allow for easier additions, comments, and questions from the campus community (must use Net ID login to access).
The Recycling Guidelines that apply to UW-Whitewater and City of Whitewater (off-campus) residents are provided by John's Disposal can be found on their website.
Used items and equipment owned by the University should be disposed of through FP&M Surplus using the Disposal Declaration Form. Hazardous waste can be routed through Risk Management and Safety.
Recycling at UW-Whitewater started with the passage of 1987 Wisconsin Act 292 and, for many years, existed as a mult-stream system which collected paper separate from mixed containers. Eventually, sorting technology advanced to allow recyclers to separate materials in a more automated fashion and collect all municipal recycling together. While this eased anxiety about proper sorting, it creates bigger problems with trash contamination in the recycling bins.
Historical data for the recycling performance of the UW-Whitewater campus can be found here, updated periodically. Each year an average of 1,500 tons of waste is generated by our campus and only around 20% is recycled. About 10% of the recycling stream is residual trash contamination from people not knowing or caring about the recycling guidelines or “wish-cycling” items they don’t want to put in the landfill.
Although John’s Disposal is not the campus contracted waste hauler (GFL Environmental), our recyclable materials are still brought to their Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). These guidelines apply to all off-campus students living in Whitewater as well.
With the implementation of Act 50 in 2009, Wisconsin State Law prohibits certain types of electronic devices to be thrown into the municipal waste landfills and requires them to be recycled properly. More information about electronics recycling for consumers is available at the Wisconsin DNR: E-Cycle Wisconsin Program. At UW-Whitewater, there are several programs in place to capture this type of institutional waste.
One of the primary sources of institutional e-waste comes from computer equipment. The Campus Computer Repurposing & Surplus Process and Surplus Equipment Processing SLA administered by UW-Whitewater Information Technology Services (ITS) provides campus users with an overview of how to remove unwanted technology equipment from campus offices, labs, and classrooms. Once removed, the items are evaluated to see if they can run all current versions of software used. If they can, they will be added to the stock to re-deploy in other areas on campus. If they no longer meet campus needs, the equipment is surplused and sold to the public or recycled. For surplus items, ITS hosts periodic Technology Surplus Sales that offers used equipment to the public for reasonable prices.
Facilities Planning and Management's Warehouse operates a battery recycling program to process rechargeable batteries used on campus. The light bulb recycling program covers fluorescent, low-pressure sodium, and high-intensity discharge (such as metal halide and mercury vapor). Email facilities@uww.edu to request services.
The Sustainability Office operates the Recycling Nook at the end of the Physics wing of Upham Hall outside the entrance to Upham Greenhouse. There are collection bins for cell phones, rechargeable batteries, printer cartridges, disc media, plastic bags/film, and other materials that are re-purposed in Sustainability Office programming. Please note that alkaline batteries are safe to dispose of in a landfill as they do not contain heavy metals or volatile materials.
Food waste is a significant contributor to the overall weight of any trash destined for the landfill due to its water content. Food waste is also responsible for the release of methane gas from landfills, which makes them smelly neighbors and significant contributors of this potent greenhouse gas to our atmosphere.
Unfortunately, creating a large-scale composting program is not feasible for the campus, but Warhawk Dining strives to address food waste in a variety of ways. Of course, preventing food waste from happening is the first component of a waste reduction strategy. This includes careful menu planning and attempts at incorporating unused food into menu planning whenever possible.
In order to reduce waste across campuses they serve, Compass Groups USA (Chartwells) created the Waste Not 2.0 tracking program. This real-time tracking utilizes tablets in dining locations to provide culinarians and operators with the opportunity to change waste behavior immediately. Monitoring and evaluating our food waste not only helps us be more sustainable, but it also reduces food cost.
Leftover food is also put to work to address food insecurity. Nearly 40% of all college students are struggling with food security. Food insecurity impacts students in all college and university settings and even those who have a meal plan can be food insecure if access is limited. To counter this issue, Warhawk Dining works with a handful of local food insecurity organizations such as Warhawk Food Pantry and Feeding America East Wisconsin. Students can find recovered meals available in the Warhawk Pantry’s freezer.
To spread awareness of how customers can help reduce food waste, our campus participates in Stop Food Waste Day. Engage with the Warhawk Dining team as we educate students and guests on food waste, have interactive booths, and reward waste warriors! Read more and take the pledge at the Stop Food Waste Day website.