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Grounds Chief Pushes Recycling
by Katie Bryden
Laying out the challenge
Mixed Paper only
Cardboard for schools at 1¢ a pound
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"Bet you didn't think you would see someone doing this today," said Mark Norwood as he dumped about 25 pounds of trash onto the ground.
Norwood, supervisor of grounds for Mars Hill College, was standing in front of Marshbanks with bags of refuse he had collected from various campus buildings. As he spoke, he stuck his latex covered-hands into the bags and was continually pulling out garbage that really, was not garbage.
From the approximately 25 pounds of stuff, Norwood within a few minutes separated out close to 10 pounds of recyclable goods. He is ready to get the ball rolling on an issue that he feels needs to be addressed: recycling, and the college's need to reduce waste.
"Recyclable goods," he explained, means products that can be reused. Plastics can be used to make rugs and clothing; paper can be used to make more paper; aluminum and steel can be turned back into cans and structural products, just to name a few of the uses.
The college now disposes of an average of 13 tons of trash per month, averaging about five hauls, and pays an average of $72 per haul. Those numbers add up to about $4,320 that the school pays per year for trash disposal.
Norwood believes that if he can set up a simple convenient system, the college community will, literally, "pitch in" to cut the amount of trash that now goes into a landfill at considerable cost.
The idea is not new. When you walk out of the mailroom and toss your junk mail into the blue bins on the right, you are sending it off to be turned into new paper, rather than to be buried in the ground. Norwood aims to expand the program.
"There are large blue containers for white paper and possibly mixed paper in Cornwell, Blackwell and a few other buildings. These have been put there at the request of the folks in those areas," Norwood said.
"A new trailer was installed recently in place of the cardboard dumpster, located behind Moore Auditorium. Every pound of cardboard will get a penny donated to the local elementary schools in Madison County. Jim Huff, director of the Solid Waste Department of Madison County, supplied the $7,000 trailer to collect and haul this waste stream," Norwood said.
"The school will not benefit cash-wise with this deal, but we will not pay the bulk rate for its disposal. Bulk rate is $47 per ton, and so taking the mixed paper and cardboard out will probably reduce our bulk cost by 40 to 50 percent is my best guess," he said.
Other small recycling initiatives at the school could also be expanded. Containers are set up at the bottom of Wall Science Building to recycle batteries and cell phones, which then get hauled to Asheville. The Facilities Department recycles cardboard and motor oil, and Norwood has personally started to collect and recycle the daily newspapers that his office generates.
Norwood is hoping for suggestions and cooperation from students as he attempts to convey information to students and staff.
One student who has recognized the need for recycling is Freshman Ashley Bridges. In a recent letter to the Hilltop, she commented on the billions of tons of garbage that are dumped into city landfills every year. "Not only are landfills smelly and unattractive, they are also hazardous to our environment," she wrote. "I feel that Mars Hill should set the standard for other schools by standing up and proclaiming that we will not contribute to the tearing down of the earth's ecosystem, but that we will do our best to take care of the earth that has supported us for centuries."
Ideally, she says, Mars Hill College should invest in a national recycling program, require recycling bins for paper, glass and plastic to be placed in each dorm, and require students to take the initiative to use the bins. "To help motivate students to take this initiative, I think the college should publicize recycling as a socially acceptable principle. I think they should hold a recycling advertising workshop for all students and faculty interested."
Norwood has suggested that vending machines be changed to hold aluminum cans instead of plastic, as aluminum is easy to collect and can be recycled for profit. He says that for the school to participate in a program that recycles plastic for profit, the county would have to purchase a $15,000 bailer to compact the plastic. If the plastic is bailed, buyers are easy to find.
Some trash that can't be easily recycled might be eliminated altogether, he says. "I thought that if we could get Spilman and Wren to discount drinks that are served in reusable cups, like a coffee mug supplied by the students, that would cut down on the Styrofoam we dispose of. Also, serving food in waxed paper instead of paper boats would also lower the bulk disposal," he suggests.
Norwood has been collaborating with Ken Barefoot, manager of the food services program on campus, to look at ways to reduce waste. "I am all about reducing what we purchase," he said.
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