6 Tips to Improve Your University’s Recycling Program

Students, faculty, and staff may have already embraced your university’s recycling program. However, you can still take steps to increase waste diversion and stakeholder engagement.

1. Conduct a Waste Audit

It’s difficult to improve your university’s waste diversion if you don’t know what needs improving. A waste audit reveals the types of waste the campus generates, how much waste is being produced, and where the waste accumulates. The knowledge you gain can guide decisions such as where to put recycling bins and the number of bins needed.

2. Talk to Custodial Staff

Frequently, members of the custodial staff have knowledge related to the effectiveness of the school’s recycling program. These employees may be willing to share their observations related to the recycling program’s barriers and opportunities if someone asked them.

3. Create a Recycling Team

A university’s recycling team should include representatives from the student body, faculty, and staff. Each team member has a responsibility to promote the school’s recycling program within their sphere of influence on campus. Student members may have the additional duty of suggesting ways the university can reach out to other students about the recycling program.

4. Educate the Campus Community

Members of the campus community may need regular reminders stating what can be recycled and how to recycle it. A social media campaign could be part of your efforts to reach students. Older means of communications, like posters in strategic locations or playing videos in common areas, may be helpful for all members of the university community.

5. Make Recycling Consistent Throughout Campus

All of the university’s recycling bins and landfill receptacles should have the same colors and labels throughout campus. Consistency can improve waste diversion and reduce contamination.

6. Prepare for Game Day

Game day visitors to campus may be ready for some football, but you need to get them ready to recycle. You may want to show a pre-game video that demonstrates how to recycle at the game.