The university has instituted a paper-use policy that makes 100-percent unbleached recycled paper the default choice of University Publications, Printing Services and other offices across campus. Kaplan says 95 percent of the papers used on campus now are recycled.

In addition, a recently implemented University Environmental Policy mandates purchase of recycled products and products with reduced and recyclable packaging.

Dan Williams, vice president for administration, says the UO recycling program, besides saving money and resources, supports the university's mission through its education component.

"It has provided hundreds of students with the opportunity for employment and for academic experiences through internships and on-the-job skill development and leadership roles," he says.

Kaplan agrees, but says the challenge is to get people to take the initiative when it comes to recycling.

"We have been meeting this challenge by implementing programs that make waste reduction and recycling a way of life at the university," she says. "The biggest asset we have is our excellent customer service and our willingness to spend time with individuals to get their feedback, answer questions and assist them in being successful.

"From 1994-96, we documented a 15-percent reduction in overall campus waste generation while boosting recycling," Kaplan notes. "Our program has stimulated people to think beyond the garbage can to pre-cycling."

Here's the 1997 NRC Outstanding School Recycling Program Award.

University of Oregon Recycling Program history, key accomplishments, distinguishing characteristics:
The University of Oregon Campus Recycling Program was founded through student grassroots activism. Distinguishing characteristics are: student involvement,continual ed/promo,grassroots activism on waste issues, focus on waste reduction,campus partnerships,creative funding,modeling our message,utilizing student resources,reuse vehicles/furniture for program,accountability from waste reports/demonstrated economic benefits,committee/community involvement. The key accomplishments are synonymous with the following history:

1975-88: University recycled minimally~5 tons/month from Print Shop and student volunteer newspaper collection called Project Intercept.

1988-89: Student government bans Styrofoam in all campus food service locations,put in contracts. Pearl Buck,employing developmentally disabled clients,convinced Univ. to take over/expand campus paper collection. Increased to 16 tons paper/month~100 sites. Student organization,Survival Center,created Recycling Activist student stipend position. Activist recruited 10 volunteers from Enviro. Studies class to work on campus recycling issues w/ Pearl Buck. In 1 yr.:designed a poster, created a logo,proposed Environmental Issues Committee,started ed. campaign in Res.Halls (table tent project reduced napkin use 50%),proposed refillable mugs (eliminated disposables in cafeterias,saves $30,000 in paper cup costs annually),recycling approved for housing areas,Print Shop utilizes/promotes 100% unbleached recycled paper. Univ. wanted to drop program after Pearl Buck asked $200/mth. for van/recycling collection containers.

1989-90: Grassroots kept program going. Organized interested parties,did a campus survey on recycling,got media attention and public pressured admin. to institutionalize,not drop,recycling effort. Activist wrote proposal to Univ. with documentation on trends. As a result,Univ. decided to continue effort on 6 month trial,hired student activist as Recycling Promo/Ed Coordinator,retained Pearl Buck employee as Paper Coordinator. Student volunteers were recruited from Enviro. Studies class project and did all collections. Student independent study research in Recycling/Conservation class created. Res. Hall Asst. took on effort in Housing Dept., Promo Coordinator increases cardboard/paper collection,presents analysis of activities, trends/economics to Facilities dept. Did focussed education campaign,including waste sort in student union;newspaper, radio,TV coverage. Bring program to public view.

1991: Recycling law passed in Oregon, program institutionalized with small budget. Program given outside space for processing and used van for collections. Student paid positions created. Promo Coordinator works with students to get ballot measure passed to fund recycling in student areas and create Student Recycling Program ($25,000). Housing creates funded student position of Housing Recycling Coordinator to compliment Student Recycling Coordinator position. Housing donates stepvan for collection in student areas. Student funding created: Student,Greek,Architecture Studio/Student Union coordinators and student recycler jobs. Student Recycling created recycling in Housing, including Family Housing,Greek off-campus housing,Student Living Co-ops,all campus kitchens. Journalism class begins annual term project creating recycling/waste reduction ad campaign. Ads run biweekly in Student paper. Campus Environmental Issues Committee established by Univ. Vice-Pres.Reps chosen from all parts of campus community. Work includes reducing Campus paper chase through: short everybody memo list, dept. bulletin boards,newsletter. Graphics protocol changed to use recycled paper. Enviro.Citizen of Year Awards created, held Enviro. Symposium on campus practices: purchasing,recycling,paper use,toxics use reduction. Get County recycling credits for efforts. Univ.Outdoor Program starts Rogue River cleanup annual project, recycles tires,metal,bev.containers,plastics,wood,66% recovery rate.

1992: Promo Coordinator assigned to State Recycling Team as rep. for Ore. Higher Ed, also appointed to County Waste Board. Student Recycling creates outside Public Drop-off collection program (20 sites)for newspaper/beverage containers,in cooperation with Campus/Grounds Dept. (They purchase containers,Recycling agrees to service). Indoor bev. container collection started in 100 sites. Program kicks off pop can pull tab recycling project,donate to kidney dialysis patients for $. Students create action to pressure SNAPPLE to collect/recycle their waste at UO. Distributor establishes SNAPPLE recycling. Eugene school district/Lane Community College join in. Activate campaign nationwide. Make front page of Wall Street Journal with campaign. Create SNAPPLE packet, do analysis at UO and send 100's of copies to student activists nationwide. UO Enviro. Issues Committee goes to State legislator to demonstrate impact of marketed single-serving beverages not covered under bottle bill. Legislator creates bill to expand Oregon's bottle bill. Goes down but ignites continued effort w/most recent including 6 legislative bills and a failed ballot measure. Legislature continues on issue. Recycling Program continues to play active role on expanding Oregon bottle bill and activating folks nationwide on issue. Facilities start yard waste compost program, saves $10,000+ in soil amendment annually, wood waste recovery, metal and tire recycling. Housing begins food waste recovery project for uneaten cooked food distributed to poor. Used bikes issued for Program use.

1993: Return to ballot for $100,000 student funding. Get classified position funding through Housing for Housing Recycling Coordinator, total ~$120,000. Create Family Housing Student Coordinator. Reorganize program under one auspice. Campus Recycling Program Agreement created w/ Admin., Facilities, Student Government, Housing. Promo Coordinator becomes Program Manager. Student Ads funded through Enviro. Issues Committee. Program awarded $1000 to build composters in Campus Child care centers, start student program educating campus kids. Started events recycling, junk mail reduction campaign for campus mail (create postcard to send to companies). Implement Stop the junk mail campaign in all campus post offices, including distribution of "remove my name from mailing lists" coupon from the Dept. Motor Vehicles. Issues committee creates Campus Environmental Audit and drafts formal paper-use policy.

1994: Res. Hall students fund in-room collection bins. Reusable Office Supply Exchange(ROSE) created through Management Team. Setup self-service drop-off/pickup. Program saves over $60,000 in 3 years. Program Manager becomes charter member of College/University Recycling Caucus. Manager represents Univ. w/students at Campus Earth Summit. Awarded State Recycler of Year. State Office Supply company audited by student, company reduces packaging by ~50% and shipments to 1X/week. Create "Recycling is Higher Education" theme for logo,T-shirts,mugs.

1995: Design program web page and USE WISELY PAPER=TREES decals for all paper towel, toilet paper dispensers/copy machines. Waste/Recycling Plan written into all construct/demo contracts. Family Housing demo recycled/diverted from landfill 100%. Recycled 55 tons of bleachers from Stadium. Created Office Waste Reduction/recovery program to integrate waste reduction/increased recycling in all buildings. New Community drop site (for apt. dwellers) created. Featured in NWF ECODEMIA BOOK for Print Shop practices! Campus Environmental Policy created.

1996: Work with Recycling equipment company, design fire proof, aesthetically pleasing, safe lifting container and leak proof bev. collection bag. State Award for waste reduction. Association of Oregon Recycler's Award for Reusable Office Supply, special award for reuse Family Housing builds new complex, purchases $15,000 in recycling collection cabinets,integrates blue box into all units.

1997: Campus Environmental Policy and Paper-Use policy ready for implementation in July. Earthweek Oregon Bottle bill letter writing campaign and petition to Coke on plastics. Program gets warehouse and 2 used stepvans. Compost project proposal refined. Environmental Coordinators appointed in departments, network created. New Law School project includes Recycling bins in bid. Bev. waste tax included in new campus vending contract.

1997 NRC AWARDS CRITERIA
Nominee: University of Oregon

At UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, RECYCLING IS HIGHER EDUCATION!!!
(Our theme which is on our trucks, mugs and T-shirts!)

COVERAGE AND LONGEVITY: The University of Oregon program was institutionalized in March of 1991.  The program services ~17,000 students+4,500 Faculty, Staff and Administration.  This consists of 5,000 students in Residence Halls and ~3,000 students in Family Housing plus ~2,000 students in Greek Houses, 2-300 students in Living Cooperatives plus 4,500 employees in University offices/programs/events. 

The Program is involved in State, County and University Environmental Issues Committees, who make recommendations for waste practices, policy and programs, campus community, county and statewide.

Recovery rates: Campus Recycling began tracking all University receipts for disposal/recycling in 1992.  We track these on a spreadsheet over a fiscal year period.  For 1995-96 fiscal year, we recovered 42% of our waste for a total of 1115 tons.  Our 1996-97 report is not completed as we are still collecting these receipts.  For the first 9 months, we are at a 44% recovery rate of 1004 tons. (See attached waste report totals for 96-97 through April. We will have the 96-97 totals available after August 15.)

Campus environmental and paper use policy are in the implementation stage.  University programs are replicated statewide (such as mugs, reusable office supply program, USE WISELY, PAPER=TREES Campaign, waste reduction strategies.) Additionally, the University of Oregon promotion and use of 100% unbleached recycled paper was modeled and implemented as policy County wide in 1996.  The University of Oregon packaging reduction program with central purchasing was implemented statewide.

INNOVATIVENESS/MEETING NEEDS: The University of Oregon Campus Recycling Program has been built on a pilot program idea.  All projects are piloted first to access implementation and need for refinement.  Materials chosen to recycle are based on waste generation in concentrated areas, market availability and participant requests (i.e. we found a market for the large volume of tennis ball cans generated at University tennis courts; we found a business to collect Styrofoam pellets for reuse from specified areas on campus where these are generated in large amounts).  We also have an aggressive events recycling program which not only includes recycling at all athletic events, but at University concerts and other public events.  Not only do we recycle all kitchen, paper and cardboard at these events, we recycle food waste as well. 

If markets are not available for items meeting these criteria, we find ways to stimulate waste reduction (i.e. we created a Reusable Office Supply Exchange in a closet in an academic building.  People check out a key from the English Dept. and enter the room on a self-service basis.  They leave what they don't need and take what they need.  A log book is available to note what they took.  A student maintains and monitors the room weekly. They stock incoming items, keep room maintained and document replacement costs in the Central Stores catalogue. The program averages $16,000/year in savings.// Since we have no control over the purchase of paper towels and we have not been able to convince the custodial department to go to linen reusable hand towel dispensers, we created a USE WISELY, PAPER=TREES decal that a developmentally disabled client (employee) placed on all campus paper towel dispensers.  This has resulted in documented paper towel use reduction.//We have been looking at different ways we could implement a food waste recovery program in all cafeteria areas.  Though we haven't implemented a comprehensive food waste recovery yet, we do a Food Waste Awareness Campaign quarterly in the Res. Halls dining areas.  We setup bins at the dish area for food, napkins and other wastes.  Students dress in white suits with "Team Recycle" logo on the back. They assist the students in emptying their trays in the proper containers.  We compliment this with an ongoing food waste reduction poster campaign that is placed at the front of the cafeteria lines.  When it is over we weigh the food waste and napkins for our records.  Additionally, we usually use this campaign as a media opportunity!)

Education and incorporating waste reduction systems into University practices has been a key element in the success of our Campus Recycling effort (i.e. all class packets are printed on double-sided 100% unbleached recycled paper as the rule. If you want single-sided unbleached paper, you must specify it.)  To take this a step further, a student employee created the Office Waste Recovery/Reduction idea. We have piloted this in 3 campus buildings and are expanding to 15 more buildings this summer.  This waste reduction program: increases the collection sites in all buildings; issues each user with a 3-tiered recycling box and a refillable mug; additionally, recycling is the responsibility of the individual and the new improved baggit recycling stations include a trash collection. Everyone is encouraged to empty their trash (which has become very minimal with this program).  This reduces the burden on the custodians, increases recycling and saves money!  Additionally, each copy machine has a USE-WISELY decal on it with instructions on how to make a double-sided copy, all copy machines have a tray with 100% unbleached recycled paper for draft copies at the least, each copy/mail room has an dispenser for Stop the Junk Mail cards for home and for unwanted things that come to campus (this reduces the burden on the handling and delivery of unwanted off-campus mail that costs the University an undetermined amount to deliver and dispose of!), and we are creating mini-reuse shelves in dept. copy rooms.  Additionally, we are holding dept. meetings to answer questions and encourage participation.  We have also created a brochure on Green Computing and a Guide to Waste Reduction and Recycling at the University of Oregon for distribution to all departments.

Education is important, but the challenge has been great in getting people to take the initiative to take these things on.  We have been meeting this challenge by implementing programs that make waste reduction and recycling a way of life at the University.  The biggest asset we have with our program is our excellence in customer service and our willingness to spend time with individuals to get their feedback, answer questions and assist them in being successful.  The Campus Recycling Program has had an interesting impact on improving morale of the campus (people feel like they have some power to do something while everywhere there are big world problems!!!).  Additionally, our program has stimulated people to think beyond the garbage can to pre-cycling.  From 1994-96 we documented a 15% reduction in overall campus waste generation while boosting recycling.

With a culturally diverse, campus we have created Recycling Guidelines posters in 5 languages.  These are posted in all the Housing Areas where the bulk of the International Students reside.  As far as other economic and cultural diversity challenges, the program actually breaks down these barriers and unites a community of very diverse folks through our human experience of generating waste and consuming resources.  The Campus Recycling Program is one of the few places on campus where everyone has a stake and EVERYONE contributes.  Our Campus Recycling Program is funded and supported by all entities on campus: Facilities, Housing, Student Government and the University Administration.

DOCUMENTED EFFECT ON RECYCLING AND HIERARCHY: Annually, we produce a report on the University waste stream, to the State Recycling Coordinator.  A one-day waste audit is the requirement.  In lieu of this, we wanted an accurate accounting of our waste stream.  A student administrative position was created with one of the key duties being to accurately track our waste stream.  We collect receipts from all areas of campus and put the totals into a spreadsheet based on the fiscal year.  I am attaching the copy of the partial report from the 1996-97 to date with the receipts we have.  The final tally for 96-97 will be available after August 15, 1997.  A copy of our 1995-96 fiscal year report is available upon request.

1) We collect the following:
PAPER grades: white ledger, office pack, newspaper, computer paper, books, cardboard, mixed waste, paperboard, hard white, coated sulfite, separate confidential material recycling and will be expanding to a magazine grade.  We also started a paper towel/toilet paper "roll ends" recycling project with the custodians.
KITCHEN MATERIALS: glass, steel, plastic containers, SNAPPLE containers through Premier Distributors. .
OTHER MATERIALS: motor oil,, antifreeze, tires, auto batteries, paint thinner, scrap metal, copper/brass wire, wood waste.
COMPOST: food waste at child care centers and Facilities, leaves, yard waste

2) REUSE,  WASTE PREVENTION, TOXICS
REUSE: Reusable office supply, Surplus Furniture campus exchange (storage of items people don't want, accessible to entire campus to take things for use in campus programs...Campus Recycling has gotten all our office furniture, file cabinets, etc..from this exchange) and surplus properties (computers etc...) go to the State of Oregon for auction and exchange in State agencies, Styrofoam pellets reuse project and mugs!  All cooked unserved food is donated to Food For Lane County (for indigent families).
TOXICS: I don't have numbers on toxics, but we have an aggressive program through Campus Environmental Health and Safety to minimize the amount of chemicals purchased on campus and an education program to purchase nontoxic materials to reduce chemical work environment, increase safety and reduce need for hazardous materials disposal.

3) PROCUREMENT AND WASTE PREVENTION
The State of Oregon has a law that mandated purchase of recycled products that meet project specs and are within % of price of virgin products (depending upon product).  95% of the papers used on campus are recycled papers. We recently created a campus paper-use policy to mandate use of recycled papers with 100% unbleached recycled as the default paper.  Additionally, we recently created a Campus Environmental Policy which mandates purchase of recycled products and products with reduced and recyclable packaging.  There is a Buy Recycled section in our purchasing manual and we have created an advertising campaign to encourage depts. to Buy Recycled as well.  Though the State does not have a tracking system to identify what recycled products are purchased on State contract, a student will be working in Purchasing during Fall term, to research what products we do use.  This project was initiated strictly to take the Buy Recycled idea further into the daily operations at the University and setup a mechanism to track these purchases, while educating people on the increased Buy Recycled choices.  Several depts. purchase recycled laser cartridges, Housing purchased benches made from recycled plastic, recently Facilities purchased eyewash stations from recycled materials.  The Central Office Supply catalogue for the State has a recycled office products index. (Campus Recycling phone message is: Remember to Buy Recycled products so we can recycle what we buy!)

During the 1994-96, 2 yr. fiscal period, we were able to document a 15% reduction in overall campus waste. We do not have all the figures in for 1996-97 and thus cannot give a figure for that time period as of this date.

SHAREABILITY/RELIABILITY: As noted previously, our programs/projects have been modeled worldwide.  We created a program packet with information, media samples and promotion ideas.  We have sent out hundreds of these to colleges around the world (most recently we had requests from Spain and Australia).  Additionally, our Office Waste Recovery program and Reusable Office Supply Exchange has been featured in national publications (INFORM guide to waste reduction, College and University Profiles) along with our successful Print Shop program (use of recycled papers, soy inks, paper reduction strategies, tree-free paper, use of computer for print shop orders etc..) which has been featured in the National Wildlife Federation's book ECODEMIA and as noted from The Friends of the Earth (DC): "the most environmentally sound printing operation of any University in the nation".  Many schools have requested use of our USE WISELY campaign, which I have seen in businesses as well.  Our Stop the Junk mail campus postcards have been replicated as well.  The Campus Recycling Program Agreement and funding document has been sent all over the world as well and schools are using our model to develop partnerships with University students and administrations.  We have also sent our Campus Environmental and Paper use Policy out for others to model and implement.

We have set up the program to be transferable.  Besides other institutions of higher education, we have heard many success stories over the years, of students who attended the UO or worked in the program, who have gone on to stimulate waste reduction and recycling efforts in their homes, apartment complexes and places of business.  Additionally, many students involved in the program go on to create themselves jobs in recycling..it never ceases to amaze us!!!

Recycling and Waste Reduction at the University of Oregon has had a notable influence on the community at large.  Our projects are being modeled through the community: the mug program has made it so refillable mugs are the rule at most off-campus locations as refills are cheaper, grocery stores (even mainstream multinationals) have a 5 cent credit for your own bag and buying in bulk is available everywhere you shop in Eugene!!  All the local copy shops promote use of 100% unbleached recycled paper.  Not only do we model the world community, we do an aggressive media campaign doing several press releases annually.

**Most recently a student did an internship project examining the waste practices at the local community college. After working with the UO program, he took his knowledge and replicated our efforts.  He built alliances and organized a committee to look at creating a recycling program modeled after Campus Recycling.  He had the committee take a tour of the UO and worked with them on their waste contract.  To date, the committee is in the process of implementing the first stage of the program, modeled after the UO, stimulated by a UO student!

PROGRAM ECONOMICS: Along with our spreadsheet documenting our recovery/diversion rates, we have created a cost-benefit analysis.  See attached cost avoidance/savings spreadsheet. **The total cost of our Program includes investment in related efforts on market development etc....

EDUCATION/OUTREACH: All employees receive a program brochure in their new employee packets.  All new students get a campus tour with recycling highlighted.  Additionally, all new students and parents, get a recycling brochure in their new student packets.  All new Residence Hall students get a refillable mug with a brochure inside.  1000 Residence Hall Students get to check out an in-room recycling bin.  All new family housing residents get a "blue box" curbside bin that has a designated space in their units.  In the beginning of the year and end of the year, each room/unit gets info. on a door hanger.  We put a clip out recycling/reuse guide in the move-out/move-in guides in all housing areas.  There is a reuse exchange area in the Family Housing complexes and we collect re-usables for to donate for homeless people during all move-outs.

We have created a community drop site for the students living in the east campus neighborhood who don't have curbside available to them.  Additionally there are signs in Housing (both Residence Halls and Family Housing) to lead people to recycling.  We have well signed bins and guidelines posted in all trash/recycling areas.  Recycling info. is included monthly in the Family Housing complex newsletters.

In Housing cafeterias, we put up table tents and change them monthly.  We change the message on these and also include info. on appropriate recycling guidelines.  All our sites and bins are well-signed (and PROFESSIONAL LOOKING) with our program logo.

The Campus Environmental Issues Committee funds a yearly advertising campaign in the student paper.  The ads are from students in a Journalism class.

We offer presentations for all offices and classes.  We also offer program tours to anyone.  Yearly, we stage a large waste audit in the courtyard of the Student Union.  Our "Recycling is Higher Education" mugs are sold in all campus outlets with cheaper prices on refillables.  A mug/recyclables wash station is being put in with the new cafeteria remodel. 

We put up displays in the Student Union on various subjects (including Household Hazardous Waste Community Days, energy, purchasing, use of pesticides, etc....) We have a few traveling displays on Hemp and What's in Your Garbage??  We move these around campus.  A student created a science museum Recycling/Waste Reduction exhibit a few years back and it was turned into a traveling "discovery box" for use at schools around the district.

The central site in the Student Union has a dispenser for program brochures and a large sandwich board with specific paper samples and a blown-up poster.  We created a web site 3 years ago and we respond to hundreds of inquiries from that, while updating it and adding links often.

The Student Outdoor Program equipment barn has a full recycling system established and recycling is incorporated into all program trips.  There are Baggits that go on every trip and everyone recycles back at the Barn when they return.  A Recycling Brochure was created and is included in the Trip Initiators training.  Annually, the Outdoor Program does a 4 day Rogue River Cleanup trip.  An independent study student organized a major recycling effort with the BLM for this river garbage.  Typically they collect over 100 tires, all get recycled because of the dedication of students at the University of Oregon.

Campus Recycling has staged Recycling Awareness Week and Earthweek events for 10 years.  Typically, all the campus child care centers do an activity (such as a trash walk) and create costumes out of recycled materials.  They always do a little parade and sign "Happy Earthday to You" to the crowd from the stage.  Other events we've staged: pileup a mountain of garbage in the courtyard of Student Union, place all kinds of info. placards in the pile and stuff a pair of jeans and tennis shoes and bury it under the pile;
waste audits, make art from garbage activity, recycle carnival (with recycling ed. games),info. tables, we always do some kind of action letter writing campaign/petition, bottle bill education table,guess the weight of the bale, present Campus Environmental Citizen of the Year Award, have a special clean-out your office promo at the Reuse Office Exchange, plus other activities.

The most recent addition to our educational program is the creation of Dept. Recycling Coordinators.  The Vice President of Admin.,through a recommendation of the Campus Environmental Issues Committee, appointed campus dept. Recycling Coordinators and setup a network where Campus Recycling can post info., solicit comments and gather info. to help us do better.  Plus the network has allowed us to exchange materials on campus and the Program has been thrilled to learn of all of the unsung efforts that individuals and departments are organizing!

Additionally, we created an academic credit opportunity through the Planning Dept. For independent study credits run through the Program Manager. 100's of students have done projects which have educated them to create educational/operational programs for Campus Recycling and the local community. Many campus classes offer projects with Campus Recycling and we are often asked to make presentations in academic classes.

The list goes on and on. In terms of how others can use what we have done/learned from our efforts: Maintaining a strong public presence and building alliances are our best tools.  The University of Oregon has a news bureau who will do press releases and public service announcements for us.  Being at a University provides an unlimited amount of student volunteer resources through internships, class projects and student groups.  We have students working on projects through Journalism, Planning, College of Business, Environmental Studies, American English Institute, Art/Architecture Dept. and Biology.  The most important and lucrative tool the Program has is good public relations.  We have developed wonderful alliances with people of all ranks on campus, in the local community, in local and state government and in professional organizations.  These alliances have built the program.  The decision makers on the recycling bandwagon, have not only supported our efforts, have stimulated policies and programs in their areas and have worked with us to assist us with creative funding opportunities.  Our excellent customer service record has given others an opportunity to go out of their way to assist us.  Our program is based on community and everyone helps out.  It's all the little stuff that people do that add up.  We work hard at letting people know they make a difference!

LEADERSHIP/CUTTING EDGE: As mentioned in all of the above examples and documentation, the University of Oregon's Campus Recycling Program goes way beyond the garbage can.  It's not just about recycling, it's about community, people, working and living together. Our program is focussed on individual participation, team efforts and opportunities to make a difference.  We walk our talk and are not totally driven by surface economics (i.e. we actively promote use of 100% unbleached recycled paper though it does get recycled with low grade material.  We educate folks on the dangers of dioxin and believe that we need to buy 100% recycled paper to create markets for the things we need to recycle. We model our message and do the right thing!)  We build alliances which has allowed us to flourish and present ourselves to the world as leaders in Campus Recycling. 
Plus, we network and share our information on our program to promote waste reduction/recycling worldwide!

The University of Oregon Campus Recycling Program consists of 1000's of people who have taken a minute to care about the world.  Each contribution has been significant and no single action defines this program.  Campus Recycling has provided leadership opportunities for 100's of students.  Our goal is to provide anyone with as much assistance and info. as possible to help stimulate recycling and waste reduction EVERYWHERE!!

We are on the cutting edge in our creative funding approach, education, waste reduction, grassroots, student, campus community and academic involvement.  Our program has grown to an intricate web that has connected people and systems around the planet. The students planted the recycling seed back in 1988 and it has been sown.  The garden is rich and flourishing and feeding the world, one mouth at a time. (Ironically, it was sown around the country at other Universities in a similar fashion.  How amazing it is to connect with all these other college programs to be inspired, supported and creative..it's truly been fantastic!)

As the messages come through on the answering machine at the UO Campus Recycling Office: Just think if everyone at the UO reused the backside of a piece of paper once a day, we'd save 20,000 pieces of paper/day, 140,000 pieces of paper/week and 7 million pieces of paper/year.  Together we can make a difference, together we can make a mess...it's your choice.  Have a great day and THANK YOU FOR RECYCLING!!!!!

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