Original Date: 11/17/1997
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Elizabethtown College saves approximately $18,000 each year through its Recycling program. The campus recycles various materials including paper, cardboard, cans, bottles, wood waste, dining hall scraps, paint, and asphalt paving. In addition, the program provides a valuable link between the Department of Plant Operations and the student population. Through the program, the Department educates and involves students in recycling responsibilities and operational issues which promote awareness, campus feedback, and continuous improvement. Plant Operations prides itself as an integral part of the learning community.

Students are strongly encouraged to recycle. Recycling centers are established in each residence hall so students can separate and dispose of recyclable material. Incoming freshmen receive written information describing the Recycling program and its various incentives. Plant Operations gives 50% of the profits from the Recycling program to the Residence Hall Association so students can purchase items (e.g., furniture, televisions, VCRs, ping-pong tables) for use in their common living areas. The remaining 50% is placed in the Plant Operations Scholarship Fund. Elizabethtown College’s students and employees take pride in recycling, and continue to develop new ideas for the program.

Since initiating the Recycling program, Plant Operations no longer buys mulch from outside sources. Waste and appropriate wood waste are collected by ground maintenance crews and shredded in a tub grinder to produce high- quality garden mulch for the campus. In addition, dining hall scraps and yard waste are used for composting. A pulper located in the dining hall grinds scraps into compost material which reduces water consumption and labor costs associated with handling this material. The processed scraps are combined with ground leaves and grass clippings, and then aged to produce a nutrient-rich compost for use on the campus grounds.

Through its Recycling program, Elizabethtown College significantly reduced hauling and disposal costs, and generated revenue by selling recyclable material. Between 1994 and 1996, the College reduced its trash pick-ups by nearly half, and saved $400 in hauling and disposal costs for each eliminated truckload. Revenue generated from the sale of recyclable material in 1996 included $2,151 for aluminum, $134 for paper, and $195 for cardboard. The balance of the $18,000 yearly savings results from reductions in hauling and disposal costs.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.