Overview and outcomes of the Wollongong Campus

Indoor recycling model trial 2009

Introduction

The Model

Outcomes of the trialled indoor recycling model

Implementation of campus wide indoor recycling

Introduction

An indoor recycling model that compliments the waste audit results was developed and trialled during July, August and September 2009 within Building 36- Administration, Building 31 – Buildings and Grounds, Buildings 40 & 40a – Commerce and its Research Wing and Building 18 – Chemistry.

This trial involved office and kitchen areas only and did not include laboratories or teaching spaces. The rationale for the exclusion of workshops and laboratories is that they produce variable and at times quite hazardous waste, therefore as a group were not suitable for recycling. Following implementation of office based recycling it is planned that a process will be developed to include suitable additional spaces where appropriate.

The trial considered the following:

• Recycling and waste in shared office environments

• Recycling and waste in individual offices

• Recycling and waste in kitchens

• Recycling and waste in resource rooms and common printing areas

Of particular interest during the trial, which people were asked to comment on, were:

1. The size of individual waste bins

2. Frequency of emptying of recycling bins

3. Adequacy of information provided to educate staff regarding recycling right

The Model

Waste within office areas

The bin under each desk became a recycling bin that could take any recyclable items. These bins were emptied once a week by the cleaners. If staff needed their bin emptied more frequently than that they were instructed to empty it themselves and advise the ESI Team so the frequency of recycling bins being emptied could be reviewed. A few diligent cleaners even took it upon themselves to empty the recycling bins more often.

In open plan areas a mixed waste bin was made available to share amongst a group of people. These bins were emptied daily by the cleaners.

In individual office areas a smaller mixed waste saddle bin was made available that sat on the side of the under desk recycling bin. These bins were emptied daily by the cleaners. Staff were instructed to empty the bin more often if needed and provide the ESI Team with feedback on the bin size so this could be evaluated as part of the trial.

Waste within kitchen areas

Two bins were made available in all kitchen areas, one for recycling and one for mixed waste. The waste bin was emptied daily by the cleaners with recycling bins checked daily by the cleaners and emptied as needed.

Waste in other areas

Wheelie bins for paper (blue bins) and wheelie bins for confidential documents (red bins) were already located throughout the building particularly in areas such as resource rooms or near printers. In some locations recycling wheelie bins (yellow top bins) were also available.

Where these bins were not already present they were provided.

Resources developed to support the Trial

All bins were labelled to ensure that they were readily identifiable.

Information cards on what can go in which bins were made available to all staff.

Web-based information was created including a Frequently Asked Questions page, based on feedback and queries from staff.

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Outcomes of the trialled indoor recycling model

Formal feedback was requested from the staff, cleaning contractors and service attendants throughout and at the end of the four week trial.

Official Feedback received during the Trial

Twelve different formal items of feedback were received by the ESI team, 1 each from the OH&S and QA systems, and 10 through the ESI Team’s feedback form set up for the trial. Feedback centred on the following issues:

• Requesting that the shared waste bins have lids

• Concern that the individual waste bins were too small.

• Needing specific information about a particular recycling issue e.g. coffee cups, tissues and paper towel.

Out of more than 650 staff involved in the various trials, these issues were clearly not a major concern for the majority of staff. Some staff also provided formal feedback supporting the recycling initiative as a great step forward.

The feedback was considered by the ESI team and used to fine tune the recycling model that was ultimately rolled out across campus.

Anecdotal Comments and feedback

Many verbal comments have been received about the recycling model.

These comments include:

• How staff are now paying more attention to what waste they are generating.

• How staff are now noticing the number of disposable coffee cups they are creating and that they can’t be recycled.

• How it was difficult not to put lower quality paper products in blue high quality paper bins.

• How people didn’t know that fruit scraps, paper towel, tissues and coffee cups couldn’t be recycled.

• Many people reported verbally at the beginning of the trials that the individual waste bins were too small. At the end of the trials all staff were encouraged to provide feedback on this and any issue with the model. As noted above, few comments were received.

Actions implemented to address outcomes of the Trial

To address feedback and issues identified the following actions were implemented.

1. Individual waste bin needs will be assessed upon request and if people have a genuine need for a larger bin they will be issued with one. Just as not everyone needs the same chair, we understand not everyone needs the same bin.

2. Bins with lids have been implemented in many of the areas who participated in the trial. They will now be the standard for all shared bins

3. Signage/ Posters for above bins

4. High quality paper bins (blue wheelie bins) will now be considered as an appropriate option for paper and cardboard where there is no yellow topped recycling wheelie bin available

5. The ESI Team are also running a campaign to promote the use of reusable coffee cups on campus. This campaign includes the distribution of several hundred reusable travel mugs.

Implementation of campus wide indoor recycling

This new recycling model with adjustments described above was implemented across the whole campus progressively during October/November 2009.

The roll out occurred across 4 separate zones, with the campus divided up on this basis. The changes to indoor recycling commenced in the north western side of the campus and subsequent areas were rolled out approximately every two weeks until the whole campus was complete.

The Final Recycling Model

The finalised recycling model is as follows:

1. All staff in office environments (shared and individual) had their current waste bin under their desk changed to a recycling bin (same bin, different thing with appropriate signage). This bin is emptied weekly by the cleaners. The few staff that fill up their recycling bin more often than that have to empty it themselves or apply to ESI to assess their needs.

2. Staff in shared/open plan offices have a lidded waste bins, emptied daily by the cleaners

3. Staff in individual offices have a small saddle bin for waste, emptied daily by the cleaners. If staff have a genuine need for a larger waste bin, they are to apply to ESI to assess their needs.

4. Kitchens and kitchenettes have waste and recycling bins, checked daily by the cleaners. Waste bins are emptied daily by the cleaners and recycling bins as needed.

5. Central access to paper recycling through blue and/or yellow bins is made available where possible. These most likely are located in common printing areas or in large kitchens.

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