WHAT STINKS ¢¢ DUMPSTER DIVING AT UNBC While the university slept Monday night, four students donned: rubber gloves, and dove into the garbage cans of the ICL kitchen, the cafeteria, and the Wintergarden. Why would we want to do that? It was all “part’ of “hte an environmental audit of the campus being carried out by Annie Booth's Social Research Methods Class (ENVS 419). Our campus is being assessed for our environmental performance in order to gather baseline information and make recommendations for improvement. My section involved exploring ICL food services and related operations. | decided to conduct a waste composition analysis to see just what kind of “waste” ICL, students, staff and faculty are dumping here at UNBC's cafeteria and wintergarden. What did we find? Are you sitting down? From a somewhat spotty collection (some of the kitchen waste was chucked out...accident or orchestrated effort, you be the judge), gathered from a relatively slow Monday on Campus, we collected 200lbs of “garbage”. After sorting the “waste” into categories defined by past respected waste stream audits, we began to assemble a “waste” portrait of the campus...it is not pretty folks. From that 200\ibs of “garbage”, close to 64lbs could have been recycled after use. Over 50lbs could have been avoided altogether! We are producing over 9 tonnes of garbage per month on campus that goes directly to the landfill. Here's a quick breakdown of what we're chucking out from our small sample: STUFF THAT CAN BE RECYCLED AT UNBC...BUT, ALAS, IS NOT! _ Recyclable Paper: 18lbs-there are bins to recycle in the computer id. * ‘ Compost: 27ibs-there is a compost bin in the PIRG office (right next to the bookstore}. Pop Cans: 11lbs-All garbage cans have a receptacle for pop cans. Metal tins: 8ibs-mostly ICL not recycling food tins..there is no program on campus so they don't recycle it either. STUFF THAT CANNOT BE RECYCLED ON CAMPUS! Glass: A0lbs-you separated it at the garbage can-but it’s getting chucked anyway. There is NO recycle glass in Prince George. Plastics: 7lbs-no program in Prince George, except for large milk jugs. Refusable garbage (non-compostable food waste, paper napkins etc.)é6éibs-lots of food goes fo waste here believe me, | saw every last fry, olive, and uneaten burger. Tetra Paks and Milk Cartons: 5lbos-cannot recycle because of the wax impregnated paper. Styro/Paper Coffee Cups: Albs-no way to recycle them. Remember that all of this stuff was in the “garbage”-ready to be land filled! Why? There are alternatives to being the piggy losers who chuck pop cans in the garbagel!! Its 1997- geta grip! 1. Bring yours own coffee mug. The University cannot provide better glass mugs because of the theft problem on campus. Who me? Yeah you! 2. Lets get rid of the creamers and sugars in separate packages at the coffee stations in the cafeteria and Wintergarden. Thermos place to” Page 9 -- Over The Edge -- April 1, 1997 type containers and glass sugar dispensers will do nicely. 3. Bring your orange and banana peels and other compost to the PIRG office, or better yet, lets set up a composting bucket just outside PIRG for easy access. Right between the bookstore and NUGSS. 4. Don’t throw your pop cans, or plastic returnable drink bottles in the garbage. Duh. 5. Recycle your paper in the bins provided...even old notes and_ shitty handouts-from group presentations you never listened to. 6. Glass bottles...Ammm... buy your drink in a can, or Inyounm mug," orcvini a glass...yummy-just like home. 7. Put your “take-out” food ona ceramic plate, or bowl...then take the plate back or leave it in a conspicuous place near to where you finish gorging...who cares? Just don't use those stinkin’ paper bags, plates and plastic cutlery. 8. Let’s put the squeeze on the University to make ICL more environmentally sane...or what? WELL, NOT RENEW THEIR CONTRACT FOR A START! So there are some things that can be done to reduce our 9 FONNES of “garbage” produced every month on_- our campus. | know that you also eam, t believe “educated” adulis are ANOTHER REWARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION. ee Gly Hb Yt 2:2y MY, Si Get $750 towards the purchase or lease of any new GM vehicle. THE $750 GM GRAD PROGRAM. FOR DETAILS CALL 1-800-GM-DRIVE. throwing recyclable stuff like pop cans, tin cans, plastic bottles, recyclable paper, and compost material in the garbage for the landfill either. As for glass, tin and other stuff that we can't recycle on campus now (lack of funds | am told...Hey who drives that new “UNBC WILDLIFE ECOLOGY” FORD in the parking dot...nice wheels! Can | borrow it to take the recycling down to the BCR site?), we should be able to implement a comprehensive program with the money we save from reduced garbage - pickup. $36,000 is spent a year on garbage pickup at this school, | think we can afford to buy more compost gear, and some gas to get to the various depots. | guess itis also a moral decision as to whether environmental integrity is an important - element to this university. Special thanks to Taryn Hughson and REAPS (Recycling and Environmental Action Planning Society), fellow dumpster divers Melissa Pryce, Paul Huxtable and Karen Hall, and to Tracy Hilton @ICL, Sheila Dwyer and Phyllis. Thank you to PIRG for all their hard work and dedication to the compost effort executed EVERY DAY of THEIR OWN TIME. Hey! PIRG has a compost action group, and a recycling action group too!!!