Today, The Collegian Online reported that CSU Fresno will remove more than 60 recycling bins from it’s campus due to a lack of funding. The problem we see with this is that recycling actually produces a significant net savings over traditional waste disposal. Yes, the recycling bins do cost money, but there are many affordable recycling containers available.
CSU Fresno plans to sort the recyclables from waste, although they admit it is not the most effective method. A recent recycling program implemented by Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle produced a significant cost savings simply by recycling half of their waste. For them, recycling costs $20 per ton versus $165 per ton for waste disposal.
Our blog post from yesterday discusses other ways to cash in on a recycling program.
What are your thoughts? Will CSU Fresno save money by removing recycling bins? Will the environmental impact outweigh any potential cost savings?