On Monday, Sept. 23, UNC Green Labs held their first quarterly talk. During this meeting, Amy Preble and Olivia Gambocarto from UNC’s Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling, gave a presentation on their Recycling Right campaign.
“Olivia Gambocarto and I gave this presentation as a lab-specific version of the Recycling Right presentation that we have been giving across campus, since launching this campaign in July, 2019. The campaign has several aims: to inform students, staff, and faculty on campus about what’s going on with the recycling industry nationally, in our region and on campus; to spread the word about how important it is to keep contamination out of the recycling stream; to give clear and concise information about what is and isn’t recyclable and compostable on campus and how to do it; and to answer any questions that may arise,” Preble said.
The presentation covered the recycling industry, the threats to it and what you can recycle daily and in lab situations.
Recently, the recycling standards have changed in Orange County. There are some beliefs and practices that led to these changes and the current recycling atmosphere. Some beliefs and practices which have led to this are:
- Shipping of recycling overseas
- Lack of investment in domestic infrastructure
- Assuming that recycling will always be profitable or cost less than land-filling
These beliefs have created a difficult atmosphere for the recycling industry to succeed.
Preble also distinguished what recycling should be considered and what it shouldn’t. She said recycling is resource conservation through recovery and turning old stuff into new stuff. Recycling is not saving landfill space and it is not littering.
After this brief introduction of recycling and its industry, Preble and Gambocarto distinguished what people can and can’t recycle anymore. Items such as plastic bottles, metal, glass bottles, mixed paper, cardboard and clean plastics can be recycled in recycling bins. Aerosol cans, printer cartridges, electronic waste and batteries should not go in the recycling bin. Items that should not be recycled at all are plastic cups, coffee cups, pizza boxes, shredded paper, anything food contaminated, bagged recycles and plastic bags.
For labs specifically, there are some other guidelines and recycling programs that should be followed and utilized, Preble said.
- Lids on for bottles
- No containers that contained p-listed chemicals
- Rigid plastics and bottles only can be recycled
- Glass solvent bottles and steel drums can be recycled at the loading dock
- Plastic film can be recycled in Thurston Bowles, Lineberger and Kenan Labs buildings.
Preble and Gambocarto hope to inform the Carolina community of the new recycling standards and how to recycle right with their efforts and new Recycling Right campaign.