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 WHOI Recycling is
responsible for managing a cost effective waste management
program that emphasizes reduction, reuse and recycling with
trash disposal as a last resort. The Facilities department has developed
a comprehensive recycling program focused on office
paper, cardboard, and bottles and cans, and will eventually expand to
include other materials. Implementation of the program will occur in
stages.If you are interested in serving as a department recycling coordinator, or want more information on recycling at WHOI, contact Dave Derosier at dderosier@whoi.edu at x2289. Recycling Tips
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Reducing waste is the first step in controlling our environmental impact. When you reduce the amount of materials you individually waste, you decrease the total waste produced by the entire campus. This means that there is less to Reuse, Recycle, send to landfills, or incinerate which creates air pollution. Your impact directly affects what is purchased and discarded by WHOI. Therefore, the less you consume, the less WHOI will purchase. Reducing also means that you keep the environment in mind when doing personal shopping. You can look for goods packaged in recycled or recyclable materials and also consider whether you actually need the item. The longer a product lasts, the less frequently replacements are needed, reducing overall waste. » Fact: The average American throws away 3.5 pounds of trash a day. Although recycling is a desirable way to dispose of used and unwanted materials, waste prevention is a superior solution. Waste prevention saves both energy and money. Reusing is a simple way to decrease your environmental impact; it takes no extra time, just conscience action. The more you reuse products and materials, the less waste gets put into landfills where it will sit for thousands of years! While buying less is the easiest way to reduce what we use, reusing allows extend the life of items that have already been purchased. » Fact: The reuse of one ton of paper saves enough energy to heat the average home for six months, saves 7,000 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil, and 3 cubic yards of landfill space. In the hierarchy of waste management, recycling is certainly not on top. Having less waste to begin with is clearly the first priority, but how we deal with the waste that we do create is also very important. Recycling saves energy and other natural resources, which are becoming more scarce every day. It takes a great deal of both local and individual efforts to institute recycling effectively and efficiently. It needs to be available, accessible, easy to understand, and (eventually) automatic. FAQs Q. Why do I have a "blue" recycle bucket in my office? A. WHOI provides a paper recycling bin at every desk side. It is blue so that we can standardize the program from building to building. Q. What goes in it? A. Almost all paper items can go in the bin. (See Recyling Guidelines (pdf)) Q. Do I have to empty it? A. The cleaning staff will empty the containers every Wednesday evening. Q. How do they have time to perform this additional task? A. On Wednesdays, the cleaners will only empty trash cans in public areas, break/kitchenette areas, conference rooms, and bathrooms. This will provide them the necessary time to empty the recycling containers. This is the same method utilized at organizations with strong recycling programs. Q. What should I do with other items that should be recycled such as bottles, cans, and cardboard? A. There are centralized containers for glass and plastic bottles and cans. Cardboard boxes should be broken down and marked as recycle for removal by the cleaning staff. Last updated: August 18, 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||
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