Recycling at Linfield

Welcome! This page is sponsored by Linfield College Facilities Services Department to provide information to the Linfield community about recycling. Opportunities available on campus are detailed below and links to further information are provided. Task Force Linfield promotes recycling at Linfield. The task force is comprised of Linfield Students for Environmental Awareness, the Linfield Recycling Committee, Western Oregon Waste and the Cleaning Services division of the Facilities Services Department. The group promotes involvement in the recycling process by the Linfield community through education.

To address a question to any member of the group please send a message to: recycle@linfield.edu.

Recycling Locations on Campus:

Exterior Depots:                                        Interior Stations:

Each residence hall has a recycling station located inside the building for the convenience of residents. Location varies by building. Academic buildings have inside stations based on opportunity, need, and departmental requests.

Please feel free to recycle in any of the above locations! It's a good thing.

Materials recycled at Linfield:

Linfield converted from separate recycling to commingle.  Commingle recycling is a more efficient and user-friendly method.

Exterior depot recycling carts with red tops are for commingle; the recycling carts with black tops are for glass only.  Some depots have office paper recycling carts due to large amounts of office paper that are collected.

Interior depots consist of a double bag-it system and/or curbside bins for commingle, purple bins are for glass only.

Materials that can be recycled in the commingle bins:

Newspaper: Place in the bins without ties or bags.  Any inserts are acceptable.

Corrugated cardboard and scrap paper:  Flatten boxes.  Cereal boxes, shoe boxes, colored paper, milk cartons.

Plastic bottles, milk jugs, other bottles with necks only.  Please no caps, lids, tubs, cups or plastic bags.

Magazines:  Slick, shiny, coated paper, phone books, TV guides, office paper, white paper, printouts, pastel paper, envelopes, direct mailings (junk mail), coated papers (faxes, brochures), file folders.

Tin:  Household cans.  Rinse, remove labels and lids, and flatten.  Aerosols are acceptable, do not flatten.  Please, no paint cans.

Glass bottles and jars:  Please, food and drink bottles and jars only.   

Glass can only be placed in the bins that are specifically labeled for glass.

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Some thoughts on recycling:

Trash in recycle bins: One of the more difficult problems any recycling program encounters is contamination of recyclable materials. Most commonly this comes in the form of trash deposited in recycle bins. Please take care to read the label on the bin before depositing anything into it. Your help in this area has a “double positive” effect. Not only does contamination ruin recyclables, your help in sorting the goods at that the front end makes the process more cost effective.

Things you can do to help:

1. Learn which materials can be recycled
2. Buy products that are recyclable
3. Reject products with unnecessary packaging
4. Practice re-use as a part of your life

What's in "our" trash?

Today, this country recycles 32.5 percent of its waste, a rate that has almost dooubled during the past 15 years. (www.epa.gov)

52 percent of all paper, 31 percent of all plastic soft drink bottles, 45 percent of all aluminum beer and soft drink cans, 63 percent of all steel packaging, and 67 percent of all major appliances are now recycled. (www.epa.gov)

Estimates tell us that up to 90% of trash generated in the USA could be recycled. Each American creates just less than 5 lbs. of trash each day. In 1997, the US disposed of 217 million tons of trash. That computes to a possible scenario of 195 million tons of potential recycled material and only 22 million tons of trash. Ask yourself: Am I part of the solution, or part of the problem? (Source, EPA, 1997)

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Mission Statement for Facilities Services Department:

“To strengthen learning, life and community by providing professional facilities operation and maintenance for Linfield's environment”

Mission Statement for Linfield Students for Environmental Awareness:

“Linfield Students for Environmental Awareness is a collection of individuals who share an interest in the condition of our global environment and the impact of the human species on this environment. Our primary concern is education and awareness about the environment, and participation in its preservation. LSEA is involved in local projects such as garbage clean-ups, nature appreciation ventures, and improvement of environmental standards on campus. We are also involved in statewide events such as the SOLV beach clean up and Earth Week. Our goal is to both enjoy the environment and introduce others to the importance of taking care of the Earth so that future generations may enjoy its magnificent wonders.”

Mission Statement for Western Oregon Waste

"To WOW our customers every time."

Links to other recycling information sites:

http://www.envirosystemsinc.com/factoidsnew.html

http://www.grn.com/index.html

http://www.warren-idea-exchange.com/graphic/e4a.html

http://www.edf.org/issues/recycling.html

http://www.stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/refuse/rycpg6.htm

http://www.recycle.net

http://www.epa.gov

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