|
Overview and Mission
The Mills College Recycling Program is dedicated to making recycling as easy and convenient as possible for the campus community. By recycling we can protect our planet’s natural resources, improve our health and wellbeing, and even help to stimulate the economy by creating jobs. Our vision is to turn Mills College into a zero waste campus. Zero waste means eliminating materials used on our campus that end up in the garbage and diverting our “waste” stream into the recycling bin and into products that can be used again and again. We are working toward this goal by implementing the 4 R’s—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot.
Why Recycle?
The average American throws away 4.5 pounds of garbage per day. Recycling diverts these materials into products that can be used again. This saves energy, natural resources, and water because the process of turning virgin materials into new products is very resource intensive. Since less energy is used to make recycled products, recycling also reduces air pollution and the greenhouse gasses that cause global warming. Recycling is something small we can do that has big impacts on the world.
Fun recycling facts
Where We are Now
Blue recycling bins have been placed in buildings throughout campus in order to make recycling services accessible and convenient. In the coming months, we will distribute blue recycling bins to every residential room on campus. The immediate goal is to have a recycling bin next to every garbage can in all campus buildings. The subsequent goal is for the campus to recycle more than is thrown away, allowing for the reduction in the number of garbage bins. The eventual goal is to use only recyclable products, recycle everything used, reach Zero Waste, and eliminate the need for garbage cans on this campus!
How to Recycle at Mills
At Mills recycling is commingled. This means all recyclable materials can be put into the same blue recycling bin.
What can and can’t be recycled at Mills
Recycling locations
Campus Compost
Composting is a central practice in diverting waste from local landfills and converting it into something productive to be used in farming, gardening and landscaping. The Recycling Program is working to expand participation through a campus-wide food waste composting program that includes compost containers, training and monitoring.
Founders Dining Commons, the Tea Shop and Suzie's Café participate in composting. Under the direction of Roselia Zendejas, Dining Service Manager, Founders Dining Commons is at a 97% diversion rate. This means only 3% of the materials that are used in this building are thrown into the garbage! This is the goal for every building on campus.
Almost every item in the Tea Shop and Suzie's Café is compostable. The to-go containers and utensils look like plastic, but are actually made from potato or corn starch. The Pete's coffee cups, stirring sticks, napkins and sugar packets are also compostable. Putting these items in the correct bin, labeled "Compost," is an important step in source reduction that will help the campus reach Zero Waste.
The Mills Recycling Program has distributed small kitchen compost bins to residents in the Courtyard Townhouses, Underwood Apartments, Prospect Hill and Faculty Village in order to encourage daily composting.
What can and can’t be composted at Mills
News and Events
This is Mills College's first year participating in RecycleMania! RecycleMania is a friendly 10-week competition among over 400 college campuses across the country. Campuses compete in different contests to see which institution can collect the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita or have the highest recycling rate. Starting January 27th, we have until April 5th to put our efforts into reducing the overall waste created on this campus, and recycling or composting as much as possible from what IS created. See how Mills is doing by visiting www.recyclemania.org.
Earth Day is April 22, 2008. Look for events sponsored by Mills Recycling Program and the student club Earth CORPS!
Mills Recycling will hold an End-of-Semester Reusables Drive. Reusable items will be collected from students moving out at the end of the semester in order to reduce waste and provide donations to help those in need.
How to Get Involved
Join the student club Earth CORPS. Meetings are held every Wednesday, 4:00–6:00 pm in the Sustainability Center. The Sustainability Center is located under Ethel Moore, next to the large laundry room. It is accessible from outside.
Become an Eco-Rep for your Residence Hall. Inspire and educate your peers to recycle, compost and develop environmentally friendly habits!
Contact Information
Britta Bullard
Recycling Manager
510.385.4854
recycmgr@one-source.com
Pat Ernesto
Campus Facilities
510.430.2146
pat@mills.edu
 |
