Monday, December 22, 2014

Improved Trash Rooms

One of the great sustainable features at Babson College is our mixed recycling system, which allows you to put all recyclables into one bin instead of tediously sorting it out into multiple bins.  However, this system has its drawbacks.  For instance, it’s difficult to remember if plastic bags go in the trash or the recycling (for the record, they are not recyclable at Babson).  Because of some challenging items like plastic bags or food wrappers, single-stream recycling can be a great tool, but it requires education.  Step in the Eco-Reps.  After observing the waste disposal systems and behaviors in several residence halls, the Eco-Reps have designed and implemented three pilot ideas that could potentially be permanent changes (and improvements) on campus to increase Babson’s recycling rate.

 

One of these pilots targeted the trash & recycling rooms found in residence halls such as Park Manor Central and North.  When initially observed, the waste bins were scattered in the room with the recycling bins tucked in the far back corner.  Not only that, but some of the rooms had unnecessary shelving that took up lots of space.  This made it hard to even reach the recycling bins, let alone understand what to put in them!  Because the bins were difficult to reach, many people just left their trash bags and boxes on the floor.  The bins that were filled with waste were contaminated with the wrong materials; trash was in the recycling bins, and recycling was in the trash bins.  Facilities staff also pointed out that electrical panels were blocked by trash, which is a violation of building code.  Clearly there was a need for a better layout to the trash rooms.

Taking into account the factors of accessibility, space, and consistency, the Eco-Reps designed new layouts room by room for Park Manor Central.  Components of the design include: putting the recycling bins in the central line of vision at the door entrance, having the same types of bins next to each other, lining the bins up so it is easy to walk from one to the next, keeping the lids open, and removing the shelving taking up space.  Each room design was organized into a comprehensive picture for Facilities staff to follow.  These plans were approved by Steve Tolley, Romeo Lopez, and Aaron Masterson of Babson’s Facilities team.

 

The Eco-Reps are now closely examining the effects of these new layouts in our pilot area trials.  If they are shown to increase recycling and decrease contamination, then expect to see new designs for the rest of the trash rooms on campus for all the students to benefit from.

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