Web-Workspace

WHY RECYCLE?<rationale>

(the little why - to save resources, to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills, and to conserve energy used to refine raw materials)

(the BIG why - to love life enough to save it) The following quotes are taken from Kellert, Stephen; Wilson, Edward O. 1993 The Biophilia Hypothesis, Island Press/Shearwater, Washington D.C., ISBN 1-55963-148-1

   We need to transform the way we use the earth's endowment of land,
   minerals, water, air, wildlife, and fuels:  an efficiency revolution which 
   buys us some time.  Beyond efficiency, we need another revolution that 
   transforms our ideas of what it means to live decently and how little is 
   actually necessary for a decent life:  a sufficiency revolution...  

(optional continuation)

   The first revolution is mostly about technology and economics.  The second 
   revoloution is about morality and human purpose.  The biophilia revolution 
   is about the combination of reverence for life and purely rational 
   calculation by which we will want to be both efficient and live 
   sufficiently.  It is about finding our rightful place on earth and in the 
   community of life; it is about citizenship, duties, obligations, and   
   celebration... 

   ...Patriotism, the name we give to the love of one's country, must be 
   redefined to include those things which contribute to the real health, 
   beauty, and ecological stability of our home places and to exclude those  
   which do not.  Patriotism as biophilia requires that we decide to rejoin 
   the idea of love of one's country to how well one uses the country.  To 
   destroy forests, soils, natural beauty, and wildlife in order to swell the
   gross national product, or to provide short'term and often spurious jobs, 
   is not partiotism but greed.  Real patriotism demands that we weave the 
   competent, patient, and disciplined love of our land into our political 
   life and our political institutions.  The laws of ecology and those of 
   thermodynamics, which mostly have to do with limits, must become the 
   foundation for a new politics... 

The type of informational facts we need to present is already available at the following website:

[1]

We might want to personalize our own website to contain the same types of information, only for Indiana. A couple of facts presented in the Richmond Sanitary District Recycling Program flyer:

   Every day, an average American produces and throws away about 4 or 5 pounds
   of waste.  In a city like Richmond, this means over 200,000 pounds (100
   tons) of waste must be disposed of every day.  Richmond's waste is 
   currently being buried in the New Paris Pike Landfill, but this landfill 
   will not last forever.  To locate and construct a new landfill will take 
   considerable time and money, so why not make the one we have last longer? 
   We can and will, with the help of recycling!

Some Indiana trends and statistics can be found at the following website:

[[2]]

In looking for a location to recycle paperboard, I saw that it is accepted from the public in New Castle and Knightstown. Does anyone have connections to see where they ultimately take it?

Another possible information source for Indiana recycling:

[3]

Some statistics on Ohio paper,cardboard, paper board recycling:

[4]

RECYCLING INFORMATION ON CAMPUS (WHAT TO RECYCLE) <fill in text here>

WHERE TO RECYCLE Newspaper bins are in the lobbies of all dormitory buildings Look for blue recycling bins (for glass, plastics 1 & 2 ONLY, office paper, aluminum cans, steel cans) on each floor of Earlham dormitories and in academic buildings

DROP-OFF RECYCLING INFORMATION IN THE RICHMOND AREA

[5]

This is a great resource from the Wayne County soil and water conservation district. In it they include a complete page of drop-off recycling facilities and information about curbside recycling in Richmond/Wayne County.

The following is the e-mail correspondence I had this summer with My Way Trading in regards to the recycling of plastics other than #1 and#2

   Subject:   [Fwd: recycling] 
   From:   jacksna@earlham.edu 
   Date:   Tue, May 23, 2006 5:18 pm 
   To:   erc-l@lists.earlham.edu (more) 
   Priority:   Normal 
   Options:   View Full Header |  View Printable Version  | View Message   
   details  

   Hi, ERC'ers,
   I tried out the URL that Steven Boggs sent me, to help identify local
   plastics recyclers, in an effort to locate a facility that recycles #3 -
   #7 plastics.  I hit the jackpot.  Here in Richmond is a company called My
   Way Trading, located at 308 NW "F" Street, Richmond, In.  They've been in
   business here in Richmond for about 4 years and have been doing this for
   about 17 years total in other locations such as New Paris,Ohio.

   I called them today and talked to Bo Mattix.  He says we could bale our
   plastics, as long as they're clean, by placing a layer of cardboard at the
   bottom of the type of container we presently collect cardboard in, and
   another layer of cardboard at the top of a plastics load, then smash it
   with the cardboard baler, strap it, wrap it with shrink wrap, and place it
   on a skid.  If kept separate, they would even take bales of those plastic
   shopping bags that no one knows what to do with (besides take them back to
   WalMart).

   The following e-mail is the follow-up information that I requested of Bo. 
   I thought everyone might find it interesting and useful.

---

Original Message ----------------------------

   Subject: recycling
   From:    "Bo Mattix" <mywaytrading@myvine.com>
   Date:    Tue, May 23, 2006 1:03 pm
   To:      jacksna@earlham.edu

---

   Nancy,
   On the plastic scrap it can be of mixed materials in bales from a baler,
   as we spoke of earlier on pallets. Containers would need to be rinsed out.
   What you can not have is any containers that had any chemicals in them( no
   cross bones) or anything over a #1 Hazmat. No trash, like paper cups or
   fast food products. Now we do work with Recycling Center and get plastic
   scrap from them, so keep the program with them and we can call them to let
   them know its ok to do and to add it to a load we get from them. They are
   more capable of handling and storing this. Just let me know if this is
   something you want to do and we'll let them know. If any questions feel
   free to call. Thanks,
   Bo Mattix

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RECYCLING 1. What happens when trash is put in recycling bins (or some other way to address contamination)? 2. Can I recycle all types of cardboard at Earlham? 3. Maybe the same sort of question about plastics??

COMPOSTING AT EARLHAM

WHO SHOULD I CONTACT IF MY COMPOST IS NOT BEING PICKED UP? Contact: Dan Horowitz (horowda@earlham.edu)

WHERE CAN I COMPOST: 1. In the dining hall: Next to the trash bins where trays are also brought, there is a separate can for compostable items. 2. All college houses have one five gallon compost bucket. 3. Clear Creek Food Co-op: Inside the co-op there is a bucket for waste generated from daily lunches, as well as a large trash can outside of the co-op, on the Barrett side.

WHAT CAN I COMPOST: 1. All food except meat and dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.)

WHERE DOES THE COMPOST GO and HOW DOES IT GET THERE? All compost generated at Earlham goes out to Miller Farm. Mill Farm is a college-owned, student-run farm located on Abington pike. For more info go to http://www.millerfarm.org Two to three student workers are hired each semester on a work-study basis to transport the compost out to the farm. Bikes are used to carry the compost out on a regular basis depending on pick-up location. The compost is then used on gardens maintained by the residents of miller farm throughout the growing season.

WHY DOES EARLHAM COMPOST?

We compost to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill and to benefit the student-run agriculture program based at Miller Farm. Food waste that goes out to Miller Farm would otherwise go with the rest of trash to the Richmond landfill. By composting, over time, we significantly reduce the amount of waste we produce.

HOW IS THE COMPOST USED AT MILLER FARM?

Compost is brought from the dining hall and put in a pile where it begins to decompose. Successive loads of compost result in a mass of ‘organic matter’ which generates heat via the decomposition process. Soil microbes consume the nutrients available in leftover food and help to produce the high temperatures found in compost piles. The bacteria gradually eats up the waste and turns compost into a soil-like substance. Residents of Miller Farm use this soil-like substance after spring tillage to add organic matter to the soil, preparing it for plat growth. The compost is applied when necessary during the growing season to strengthen soil balance and prevent pest and disease spread. It is sometimes used again after fall harvest and before a winter cover crop is sown to build soil quality over the winter. For more information on compost go to: insert here.

CONTACTS

Director of Facilities: Head of Housekeeping: ERC convenor and committee members (ERC listserve): EEAC, EEP, Miller Farm:

MAINTENANCE BUILDING HOURS 8:00am -4:00pm M-F