Community Reuse Days - Spring 2013

Spring might be a little late, but Community Reuse Days is always right on time! Get into Spring Cleaning mode to clear out some space in your garage, attic, and basement, as we give the entire MSU community a green option for getting rid of unwanted items.

During Earth Week (starting on Earth Day), we will be collecting all reusable and recyclable items from faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Collections will be be Monday, April 22 through Friday, April 26 from 7am to 3pm, as well as Saturday, April 27 from 9am to 1pm. The week will end with special Public Sale hours (featuring items from Morrill Hall) on Saturday from 9am to 2pm.

Documents for destruction (confidential shred), electronics, and more will be accepted at no charge. Typical items include appliances, media, decorations, knick knacks, sporting equipment, apparel, and furniture (no mattresses please). Items received at the event will be recycled, resold, or donated to a non-profit organization. As with everything we collect, the landfill is always a last resort.

Proceeds from re-sold items support the Center’s continuing increase of materials collected from campus and the community. As a result of past Community Reuse Days, we’ve been able to expand recycling opportunities of colored glass (all colors now accepted) at the Recycling Drop-off Center and implement a pilot polystyrene (Styrofoam) recycling program on campus. We are currently looking into solutions for recycling alkaline batteries.

Donations will be accepted at the north dock of the MSU Surplus Store & Recycling Center from 7am to 3pm from Monday, April 22 through Friday, April 26 and 9am to 1pm Saturday, April 27. More details can be found on our website.

E-cycleMania

This year’s RecycleMania competition includes a month long collection of electronics, similar to last year. There is a slight change, however, as we are able to collect both university-owned and personal e-waste from the community.

MSU students, faculty and staff can drop off electronic waste March 4-8 at the Surplus Store from 7:00am -3:30pm. Unloading assistance provided at the overhead door on the north side of the building facing the Recycling Drop Off Center.

Buildings on campus can host their own electronic collection between March 4-29. Email recycle@msu.edu for more information. Currently scheduled collections include:

Physical Plant, March 1-22

Berkey Hall, March 14-15 and 21-22

Angell Hall, March 18-23

Olds Hall, March 20-21

Waste Awareness Week

We removed or downsized 109 trash cans and added or moved recycling containers at the MSU Main Library from February 10-16.

We tracked data through the two weeks prior to Waste Awareness Week to establish control averages.

Here is what we found:

Waste was reduced by 350 lbs
Recycling was increased by 100 lbs
Landfill diversion rate increased by 3.25%

RecycleMania Video Contest

Show off your video-making skills and win $500, $250, or $100 by competing in this year’s RecycleMania video contest!

MSU Recycling is planning events for this year’s RecycleMania Competition (an annual international competition between colleges and universities to raise awareness about recycling).  This year we are hosting a video competition encouraging students, faculty, and staff to create short promotional pieces to raise awareness for the event and encourage fellow Spartans to participate.  Winners will be featured on the MSU recycling page and will receive first, second, and third place prizes of $500, $250, and $100 respectively.

Entries must be emailed to recycle@msu.edu by 5pm on Monday, March 18

This is a great opportunity to create a new portfolio piece and possibly win money at the same time.

Good luck!

Office Clean Outs

We're getting close to the beginning of RecycleMania, the eight-week recycling competition among schools across North America, which means it's time to start thinking about what you can get rid of (and how to do so responsibly). Along with many other recycling events from February 3 to March 30, we'll be scheduling Office Clean Outs for MSU Faculty and Staff across the whole eight weeks.

The Office Clean Out program includes the delivery of two hampers: one for free confidential shred and another for everything else–paper, cardboard, boxboard, plastics, books, and electronics. The hampers will be delivered the morning of your scheduled day, and you'll have all day to fill them before we pick them up the following morning. We can also pick up surplus items at the same time, if you let us know in advance.

To sign up your department/unit, simply check the calendar of available dates and fill out the sign up form. We will contact you with more information, then we will see you on the day of your scheduled Clean Out. The calendar filled up very quickly last year, so sign up now!

Green Holiday Guide

Make your holidays Spartan Green by following these helpful ideas.

Rethink

Buy Durable, Locally-Produced Products
Many products made today are not meant to last. Think about the long-term use of a product you are about to buy. The cheapest item may not be the least expensive if you have to replace it often.
Tip: Buy a gift card to the Dairy Store and other campus locations from MSU Stores.

Cut Down on Trips
Plan your trips before you leave, and be prepared to purchase all the items you need. Research the availability and price of products you want to purchase to help cut down on time, trips, and gas use.
Tip: An alternative transportation solution is the Zip Car program on campus.

Turn Down the Heat For Your Party
How many times have you been at a party where they had to open a window or door to let excess heat out? Body heat and the warmth generated from food preparation can quickly build up in a home. Turn down the heat in your home prior to guests arriving to conserve energy.

Reduce

Use Fewer Bags 
Approximately 380 billion plastic bags are produced each year. Reuse bags from home or purchase durable tote bags that can be used multiple times.
Tip: Buy an MSU Surplus Store & Recycling reusable shopping bag

Give Handcrafted Gifts 
Reduce waste by making handcrafted gifts from items from around the home or repurposed items from the Surplus Store. 
Tip: Follow us on Pinterest for previews of items at the MSU Surplus Store, as well as DIY and craft ideas.

Give the Gift of Education 
Invest in a future Spartan’s education savings instead of buying material gifts. College Savings Plans are easy to open and contribute to, and they are a great way to provide a lasting impact for a loved one.

Reuse

Buy Rechargeable Batteries
Rechargeable batteries cost a little more up front, but they can be recharged hundreds of times, resulting in big savings over their lifetime. Rechargeable batteries are best used in moderate- to high-use devices such as digital cameras and Wii remotes.
Tip:  When rechargeable batteries do eventually run out, please recycle them. Numerous local businesses and municipalities accept them, enter your address at Call 2 Recycle to find locations in your area.

Be a Surplustomer
There’s no better place to be green than at the MSU Surplus Store, where all of our products are for reuse.

Reuse Packaging Peanuts
If you don't have a way to reuse them yourself, packaging peanuts are collected by UPS, Pak Mail, and others to be reused in the shipping process.
Tip: The City of East Lansing has a list of local locations that accept Styrofoam peanuts. 

Recycle

Live-cut Christmas Trees 
Christmas trees can be chipped and used as mulch around trees and on trails or used to make compost. Most local municipalities accept live-cut trees for recycling.
Tip: Enter your zip code at Earth 911 for a list of local tree recycling locations.

Wrapping Paper
Wrapping paper can be recycled as Mixed Paper at our Public Drop-off Center. Please do not recycle foil-embossed or plastic foil wrapping paper.
Tip: Look for alternative, reusable materials for wrapping gifts, such as fabric, comics, or coloring book pages.

Christmas Cards
Recycle Christmas cards as Mixed Paper at our Public Drop-off Center, and purchase cards made with recycled content. Better yet, eliminate waste by sending electronic greeting cards.
Tip: Buy recycled greeting cards from St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, and donate your old cards to them once the holidays are over.

For more ways to reduce holiday waste, get ideas from EcoCycle, Earth 911, and the EPA.

Go Green this weekend

The MSU Football team potentially changed their season by winning at Wisconsin last week. Finishing atop the Legends Division for a second straight year is still a long-shot, but beating Nebraska on Saturday could make it a bit more realistic.

Regardless of the outcome on the field, MSU can still win the Game Day Challenge, a national recycling competition to see who can be the greenest on game day. Over 70 schools are competing, including 8 of the 12 Big Ten universities, as well as CMU and Grand Valley. We were originally scheduled to compete on Homecoming, but the rain kept us from having a chance. Instead, when The Sea of Red invades East Lansing this weekend, let's show them how we GO GREEN! Keep an eye out for student-athlete volunteers across campus, and please do your best to recycle at and around Spartan Stadium.

How to get rid of junk

Having more stuff than space can be a real problem. Here are your best options, in order:

1. Reuse or repurpose
Thanks to Pinterest, the world is full of more DIY and craft ideas than ever. In a lot of cases, transforming something doesn't even involve work, just re-thinking the way something can be useful.

2. Donate or share
If it's something you really don't want, or don't have space for, give it to someone else! If you don't have a friend, relative, coworker, or random acquaintance who could make use of your stuff, and you're associated with MSU (faculty, staff, student, alumni, retiree), you can take advantage of our Community Reuse Days, coming up October 8-13. If you're not associated with MSU in any way, you can still donate items to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or other consignment shops in the area.

3. Recycle or compost
The MSU Recycling Drop-off Center accepts pretty much every material except food, paper towels and napkins, and polystyrene (Styrofoam). Most food waste and paper products are compostable, and we will be collecting polystyrene at the next Community Reuse Days.

4. Landfill
If you're really, really, really sure the item can't be repurposed, donated, or recycled, throwing it away is an absolute last resort.