Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: such is most people’s introduction to controlling their environmental impacts. US Environmental Protection Agency data from 2010 indicates that municipal solid waste generation in America has stayed flat at 250 million tons from 2005 to 2010, out of which 34% is currently recycled.
With the implementation of the first ever multi-family recycling program serving 30,000 residents of Champaign, recycling is finally available in all parts of Champaign-Urbana. Three separate programs handle recyclables in our community – “Feed the Thing” in the City of Champaign, UCYCLE in the City of Urbana and University of Illinois Recycling.
CHAMPAIGN:
Students in Champaign may have noticed the blue bins bearing the message “Feed the Thing” at their apartment buildings since last December. “The Thing” has a hefty appetite – it consumes plastic types 1-7 and other recyclables. Students need not sort their recyclables; they are sent to a high- tech facility in Indianapolis with automated sorting. Residents can pick up a free Feed the Thing tub to store their recyclable waste at the Champaign Public Works department, 702 Edgebrook Drive, Champaign.
The goal is to recycle 2,600 tons per year. The highest monthly collection was a little over 100 tons in August 2011. This rate would need to double in order to meet the goal. Angela Adams, coordinator of the Feed the Thing Recycling program, remains optimistic. “By the end of five years, we hope to achieve that goal,” Adams said.
URBANA:
On the other side of campus, Urbana has had a multi-family recycling program since 1999, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of date. The multi-family program, or U-CYCLE, serves 15,000 people and is extremely comprehensive, said Courtney Rushforth, recycling coordinator for the City of Urbana.
“We accept a lot of materials that other recycling programs don’t collect, especially plastic number 3-7, things like yogurt cups, different types of cleaning containers, plastic shopping bags and all paper type products,” Rushforth said. Many recycling programs only accept plastic types 1 and 2, which includes materials like soda bottles and milk jugs. Rushforth attributes U-CYCLE’searly birth to having cutting-edge officials. “We had a lot of support from the city council and the mayor early on with these programs. They’re very pro-environment and that’s why we could start the recycling program earlier than other communities,” Rushforth said. Like Champaign’s program, no sorting is required for residents with U-CYCLE. The recyclables are brought to Community Resource Inc. in Urbana, where they are then hand-sorted.
CAMPUS:
The third and oldest recycling program in the community, operated by Facilities and Services at the University of Illinois, started in 1989. The University does not recycle as many materials as the Champaign or Urbana programs (most notably excluding glass and many types of plastics) but still achieves an impressive waste diversion rate of over 55%, with over 5,700 tons of waste recycled in 2009-10.
The University collects recycling in three ways: through collection of pre-sorted recyclables, comingled recyclables and finally by sorting the regular waste stream for any recyclable materials still remaining. This comprehensive approach is responsible for the high diversion rate. All waste materials are sent to the Waste Transfer Station on Oak St. south of Assembly Hall where sorting takes place.
LOOKING FORWARD:
As part of the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP), the University has committed to raising its waste diversion rate to 75% by 2020 and developing a zero-waste plan. In support of these commitments, the university is conducting a food- waste composting feasibility study in support of implementing a composting program that would divert 500 additional tons of the landfill. Additionally, the campus is also preparing to launch a battery-recycling program.
A major change in waste handling practices is expected with an upcoming state-wide ban on the disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) in landfills starting January 1, 2012. At this time, all televisions, computer monitors, desktop computers as well as printers will be banned from Illinois landfills. Several businesses in both Urbana and Champaign also offer e-waste disposal programs for specific products.
In preparation for the ban, the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission has coordinated several county-wide e-waste drop off events in partnership with both city recycling programs. These drop-off events were hosted at the News- Gazette Distribution Center at the Apollo Industrial park. In response to the new landfill ban, Champaign County as a whole will look into implementing more options to residents to comply with this ban.
Be sure to keep up recycling where you live, because the programs are already in place to make a huge difference in our waste’s impact. The impact of recycling and composting programs nationally is equivalent to removing the emissions from over 36 million passenger vehicles every year. And remember, before recycling, remember to reduce and reuse first!
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