Tag: Waste (Page 1 of 5)

Photo showing a large amount of items that students left behind for move out

2018 Tufts Move-Out Recap

May 31, 2018 / / 5 Comments

Summer has officially begun, all of the students leaving Medford for the summer have moved out, and we can finally stop posting all over our social media about Move-Out 2018!

Thank you so much to everyone who donated their unwanted items. This year, we collected 14,290 pounds of textiles, 719 pounds of food, as well as a significant amount of other donations in the form of e-waste, books, appliances, furniture, and miscellaneous items! That is very significant amount of items that will not be going straight into the landfills, as would have otherwise happened.

Many thanks also to all of the Recycling student workers and staff and the Office of Sustainability staff who helped sort through, organize, carry, and store all of the items. It took us many, many hours to ensure that what can be reused will have the opportunity to find a new home.

So what happens with all the items that are collected?

  • Many of the items that are in working and usable condition go to the Back To School Sale hosted by the Green House in the fall. The profits from the sale help them run programs on campus throughout the school year.Items collected that will be sold in the fall move out sale
  • Books go to the Book-it-Forward Lending Library which allows Tufts students on financial aid to borrow textbooks and other books. Books that will go to book-it-forward
  • Non-perishable food items are donated to Project Soup, part of the Somerville Homeless CoalitionNon perishable foods taken to Project Soup
  • Dining hall dishes get taken back to the dining halls!
  • Textiles (old clothing, sheets, linens, towels, etc.) go to Bay State Textiles, where 50% of the textiles are recycled for reuse, 30% are turned into wiping cloths, and 20% are recycled into new items. Joannie and Tina with all of the textiles donations!
  • Plastic bags are taken to Whole Foods who then deliver them to Trex, an outdoor decking and living products company. Trex converts used plastic film into new, environmentally responsible outdoor products!

Although we are happy to help minimize waste that will go to landfills through our move-out initiative, we also want to remind you that the best way to reduce waste would simply be to purchase fewer items, especially if you are not certain you will use them! You would be surprised by how many unopened packages we found of various miscellaneous items, as well as clothes and shoes that seemed barely worn.

Nonetheless, everything that was donated will be put to good use, and we hope that those who will be returning to school in the fall will stop by the Green House’s Back To School Sale – there will be many great items sold at significantly discounted prices (lots of dorm furniture, some coffee makers, a pair of Hunter boots and some North Face down jackets in good condition, just to name a few)!

Recycling & Waste Reduction Co-Op, Tufts Office of Sustainability (Medford, MA)

July 11, 2017 / / 3 Comments

Working for the Tufts Office of Sustainability in collaboration with Facilities Services – Campus Services, the Recycling & Waste Reduction Co-op student would be responsible for helping Tufts University meet its goal of reducing waste by 3% each year. The co-op student would help manage student interns and respond to waste and recycling related requests from the campus community. During the spring semester, that focus will be on move out. The fall semester would focus on hiring and managing new interns, and move-in. Other potential responsibilities and projects could be:

  • Investigate and respond to customer recycling requests for furniture, battery bins, labels, lids, trash & recycling containers, desk side trash or recycling bins, etc.
  • Submit work orders as needed
  • Support the Office of Sustainability’s University-wide Sustainability initiatives
  • Identify new waste streams for diversion (e.g. textiles, Styrofoam, disposable gloves, labware) and develop ways to divert them from the waste stream.
  • Identify opportunities to prevent wasteful purchases (e.g. desk top printers) and work to promote alternatives.
  • Develop effective and creative ways to change behaviors to reduce, reuse and recycle items no longer needed by the Tufts community members.
  • Supervise student labor or volunteers e.g. for zero waste events
  • Deliver training seminars to employees and students.
  • Tracking volumes and weights of waste streams in coordination with our haulers
  • Create monthly and annual waste data reports for all campuses
  • Coordinate waste audits

The Co-op will earn $15/hour.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

  • Familiarity with Microsoft Office software
  • Ability to navigate stairs and uneven terrain; lift up to 35 pounds; and walk around the 150 acre property.
  • Able to work a minimum of 32-40 hours per week
  • Willing to work events that may occur on a weekend or weekday evening

Preferred Skills

  • Familiarity with Asana project management software
  • Proficiency with Excel
  • Ability to send and receive professional emails, phone calls, and maintain good customer service interactions
  • Comfortable working in a dynamic and fast-paced environment as well as finding ways to be proactive and find solutions to problems
  • Comfortable reading site plans, and floor plans
  • Ability to be a fast learner and maintain an enthusiasm for learning and developing new skills
  • Understands how to work in a professional setting and be accountable to others
  • Excellent time management skills
  • Great organizational skills and ability to pay attention to detail

Additional Notes

Occasionally some travel may be required to the Boston campuses as well as the Grafton campus. The role and responsibilities will primarily be based on the Medford campus.

Depending on the semester, this job could be 50%-70% field work and 30%-50% computer work. This position suits someone who likes: being active and outdoors, the occasional ability to travel, the ability to work independently, is highly motivated, and possesses excellent communication skills with peers, vendors and customers.

How to Apply

Please email or fax cover letter & resume to Tina.Woolston[at]tufts.edu with the subject line “Recycling & Waste Reduction Co-op”

You can also mail your application to the following address:

Tina Woolston
Sustainability Program Director
210 Packard Avenue, Miller Hall rear
Medford, MA 02144

 

Medford/Somerville Waste Station Checklist

February 7, 2017 / / 1 Comment

Recently, you may have noticed some big changes in recycling on the Medford and Somerville campuses: all recycling is now mixed, meaning there are now only types two bins at waste stations across campus: trash and recycling! 

Research shows that an effective way to capture more recyclables is to pair trash containers with recycling containers. Your waste station should have BOTH types of bin listed below:  

Gray trash bin with white “landfill” label 

Gray recycling bin with: 

  • Blue “mixed recycling” label 
  • Light blue bag 
  • Blue UFO-shaped lid 
Complete waste station

Now, that’s a good looking waste station!

If the waste station in your dorm, office, or classroom doesn’t look like the photo above, please submit a work order that will go to Facilities Services.

During the transition to mixed recycling, Tufts strategically reduced the number of waste stations in each building. This helps with efficiency (regarding the time to empty bins) and sustainability (reducing the number of plastic liners we use reduces our overall impact!). Your original central waste station may have been moved to another area on your floor or removed entirely during the transition, however, please do not move any waste receptacles. If you feel that an error has been made with your waste station please submit a work order and contact recycle@tufts.edu with specific questions.  

 

New Year, New Lid! Campus recycling is now mixed!

January 25, 2017 / / 3 Comments

Have you noticed anything different about your favorite campus waste station?

Screen Shot 2017-01-25 at 9.45.33 PM

Recycling at the Medford/Somerville campus is now mixed! Boston will be transitioned in March 2017 and Grafton will make the switch in Summer 2017.

Recycling on the Medford/Somerville campus is now MIXED! Mixed recycling means all the materials that you currently recycle will remain the same but will not need to be separated. All paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, and metal can be mixed together in any blue bins with new UFO-shaped lids! We will keep this blog updated regularly with new information about mixed recycling. You can subscribe to regular mixed recycling email updates here.

Please remember the following when recycling:

  1. Dump out liquids.
  2. Wipe out messy food containers.

If you’re on the SMFA campus, you can expect to see this same type of waste station starting next week.  If you’re on the Boston campus, you will be transitioned in March 2017. The Grafton campus recycling system will be updated during the summer months.

mixedlid

The new UFO-shaped mixed recycling lids allow you to dispose of items in a variety of shapes (e.g. bottles and cardboard).

Change is hard, but there is no need to panic! Mixed recycling is simple and easy. New mixed recycling stations provide the campus community with two primary options: recycle or landfill (along with existing composting for food waste in many locations). Trash bins are labeled with a white “Landfill” label to help remind the campus community that the trash we discard ultimately ends up in a landfill somewhere. The blue “Mixed Recycling” label indicates that all recyclables can be mixed in one bin: paper and cardboard, plastics, glass, and metal. When in doubt, please recycle!

Making the move to mixed recycling supports Tufts’ larger plan to improve solid waste and recycling efforts in line with the President’s Campus Sustainability Council’s goal of reducing total waste by 3% per year. Every Tufts community member is asked and expected to help the university meet its waste goals by educating themselves about their campus’s move to mixed recycling. Read more about the President’s Sustainability Council goals to reduce waste here.

Frequently Asked Questions about the mixed recycling transition:

  1. What happened to the waste station next to my office?
    Waste stations have been transitioned to mixed recycling, meaning there are now only two bins at the waste station: trash and recycling. Your original central waste station may have been moved to another area on your floor during the transition, however, please do not move any waste stations. As long as you use your desk-side trash buddy, you will be able to bring your trash and recycling to a central waste station located on your floor of the building. If you have concerns, please contact recycle@tufts.edu.
  2. What does “Landfill” mean?A landfill is a facility where solid waste is taken after you throw it into the trash bin. Landfills are engineered to comply with federal regulations and keep waste dry and away from groundwater sources. Landfills are designed to bury trash — they do not help it break down at a faster rate. This means that items you send to a landfill can stay there for hundreds of years, depending on the materials. As stated in the 2013 Campus Sustainability Council Report, Tufts’ overall vision for waste is a cradle-to-cradle economy, meaning that the campus community will consider the lifecycle cost of products before purchasing them. By labeling bins with the word “Landfill” we hope to remind people about where their waste goes after it is thrown away.
  3. What goes in the “Mixed Recycling” bin? What goes in the “Landfill” bin?
    When you take the time to consider what goes in recycling versus trash, you find that most of your waste really can be recycled! For a list of accepted items, please visit the Facilities Services – Recycling & Waste Management website. We also recommend watching the video below, which explains how to recycle under the new system.

Still have questions? Please contact Facilities Services at recycle@tufts.edu.

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