Ashland University Completes Campus Waste Audit

11/13/12 ASHLAND, Ohio - On Friday, Nov. 9, Ashland University participated in an all-campus waste audit to determine how many recyclables are being thrown out in the University’s trash. This event was held in celebration of America Recycles Day and it provided an awareness of recycling on campus.

All trash from academic and residential buildings, except for Senior Apartments, College Avenue Apartments, and Kettering fourth floor labs, rooms 113 & 305 trash, was collected and put on display on the Clark and Kilhefner halls patio from 9-12 pm to show the Ashland University community how much trash is generated in one day. Bathroom trash also was omitted due to health and safety precautions.

After initially weighing the trash, the trash was sorted by building for its recyclables that were thrown away. The recyclables were removed, and the trash was reweighed. The percentage of recyclables in the trash was determined by dividing the poundage of recyclables thrown away by the initial trash weight. The following list is shows all buildings that participated and how well they recycled:

 

Rank Building                      Total Trash Collected, lbs         Recycling in Trash, lbs       Should have been Recycled, %
1 Troop Center                            15                                               2                                              13

2 Center for the Arts                    25                                               4                                              16

3 The House                               6.4                                              1.4                                            22

4 Clark                                       46.6                                            11.6                                          25

5 Kem                                        78.4                                            21.4                                          27

6 Kates                                       7                                                2                                               29

7 Facilities                                  16                                               5                                               31

8 Tau Kappa Epsilon                    4.4                                             1.4                                             32

9 Phi Delta Theta                        11.8                                            3.8                                             32

10 Bixler                                    7.7                                              2.7                                             35

11 Clayton                                 76.2                                            27.2                                            36

12 Phi Kappa Psi                        9.6                                              3.6                                              38

13 Library                                 23                                               14                                               39

14 Patterson                              23                                               14                                               39

15 Dauch/Gill                            28.4                                            11.4                                             40

16 Jacobs                                 77                                               35                                                45

17 Kilhefner                              82                                               38                                                46

18 Myers                                  51                                               24                                                47

19 College of Education              56                                               27                                                48

20 Student Center                      79                                               43                                                54

21 Andrews 1 &
     Claremont Office                  6.8                                              3.8                                               56

22 Amstutz                               81                                               47                                                58

23 Kettering &
    Jacobs Classroom                 25                                               16                                                 64

24 Andrews 2 & 3                    15.8                                            10.8                                               68

25 Phys Ed & Fieldhouse           42                                               33                                                 79

26 Recreation Center                 73                                               60                                                 82

27 Chapel/Rinehart Center          12.4                                            10.4                                              84

28 Founders                             19.6                                            16.6                                              85
 

The Recycling Department would like to thank everyone on campus for doing their part and recycling. This event raised our awareness on how much is thrown away, and where the Ashland University campus can improve to promote sustainability through recycling.

With 999.1 pounds of trash thrown away in ONE day, and 430.8 pounds of recycling that was in the trash, overall as a campus, faculty, staff and students threw away 43 percent of materials that should have been recycled.

Everyone can make a difference if they are more aware of what is actually being thrown away, so the Recycling Department would like to provide administration and faculty with small bins for their offices, if needed. The department also encourages students to recycle more, as it is easy, good for the environment, and benefits students and the university financially. Please contact the Recycling Department at ext. 5745 for a bin or any questions/suggestions.

Ashland University, ranked in the top 200 colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report’s National Universities category for 2013, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students. 
 

Media Contact

Name: 

Steve Hannan

Phone: 

419-289-5007

Email: 

shannan [at] ashland [dot] edu