UWM Sustainability Expert Describes his Wide-Ranging Campus Work

Posted on by

John Gardner is the Office of Sustainability’s Program & Policy Analyst at UW-Milwaukee. He received his BA in Anthropology from the University of Chicago and his Masters in Urban Planning from UW-Milwaukee. He digitized and analyzed over five years of utilities data for more than 80 accounts, contributing to the university’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Additionally, he drafts energy and emissions reports, compiles waste and recycling data for competitions, assists in designing public presentation materials, and contributes to garden projects. He talked about his work with JAMS 660 Environment and the Media student Zoe Karampelas.

Zoe Karampelas: What are the primary environmental benefits of recycling, and how do they contribute to sustainability efforts in our community?

John Gardner: I would say that the environmental benefits of recycling are myriad and span the resource lifecycle of products. From using less energy to produce plastic and less resources for the initial production of goods, recycling helps avoid inputs that would otherwise be consumed on the front end (such as timber or the amount of energy needed to produce plastic). Nearing the typical “end” of the resource lifecycle of products, recycling helps keep waste out of landfills and changes a linear consumption model to one that is more circular). This reduces potential pollutants we put into landfills as well as associated emissions if the landfill has a methane flaring system in place (luckily the landfills in SE WI have a methane capture tech which converts methane into energy).

Q: What are some common misconceptions about recycling, and how can we educate the public to improve recycling rates?

A: One of the big misconceptions is that all the plastic in the recycling bin just goes to the landfill, when in fact, the lion’s share of all recycling that makes its way to our local MRF (Municipal Recycling Facility) is processed to be reused in other products. I believe Waste Management said their new Menomonee Falls facility sees contamination rates at under 10%. Speaking of contamination, another misconception is that you can throw recyclable products into a recycling bin stained with food and oil, filled with liquid, or that are any type of plastic. This wish-cycling puts undue economic pressure on the recycling economy and can lead to contamination of other recyclables.

At UWM, education around improving recycling rates is an ever-present process. New students come from all over the State of WI, the nation, and internationally. Many students have different recycling processes where they grew up and the Office of Sustainability (OoS) strives to make our recycling communication straightforward and focused on the products students use most. For example, our Core 4 recycling messaging across campus focuses on seeking to capture clean cardboard, paper, bottles, and cans so that we can maximize the recyclability of products sent to our MRF. The OoS also offers bulk paper and book recycling and confidential paper shredding services (alongside diverting a host of other waste streams like metal recycling in Surplus) to campus departments in order to get as many products back into circular economies.

Q: How does recycling contribute to mitigating climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions?

A: Recycling contributes in several ways, as noted above, along the resource lifecycle of products (from less energy spent making products to less emissions being released into the atmosphere in landfills. One interesting note, the share of UWM’s yearly greenhouse gas emissions that comes from waste is less than 0.5% (because our landfill has energy capture tech). Yearly, UWM’s recycling programs divert over 680,000 lbs of waste from the landfill and over 800 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Q: What initiatives is your office implementing to increase recycling rates and reduce waste in our community?

A: We run internal recycling efforts at UWM which allow us to get a very good idea of the types of waste streams coming in from various campus locations. We have also implemented a host of programs and services to divert waste from over 30 waste streams including:

  •  Core 4 recycling (cardboard, paper, bottles, and cans)
  • Bulk cardboard and paper
  • Food waste through composting on campus in the hoop house as well as through Compost Crusader
  • Waste Oil
  • Mixed paper
  • Wood
  • Books

Q: Can you discuss the economic benefits of recycling, such as job creation and cost savings for municipalities?

A: Some of the economic benefits of recycling for UWM include:

  • Paying less per pound to recycle than to throw products into the landfill
  • Saving departments costs associated with replacing furniture by using Surplus (The value of surplus items returned to campus each year exceeds $300,000).
  • Receiving revenue from the sale of metal salvage and surplus items