Bright Green Questions and Answers
How do I get beverage container recycling in my area?How do I get composting in my area?
Should I stop using bottled water?
I have an aerosol can I'd like to recycle - where can I found a recycling location that will accept it or other unusual items?
Why should I use recycled content copy paper? Won't it jam my printer?
Where are the ReUse stations around campus?
What are the greenhouse gas emission reductions from taking the stairs instead of the elevator?
I'm new to sustainability, how do I get started?
What environmental events can I attend?
How can I receive updates about sustainability on campus?
How do I get beverage container recycling in my area?
Bottle and can recycling requires additional effort by departments, relative to paper recycling. Departments must request a recycling bin from the Campus Recycling and Refuse Services and also commit to notifying CRRS that the bin is ready to be picked up. Regular generation of more than 35 gallons per month ensures CRRS can schedule a regular pick up.
More information on the campus recycling program can be found at: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~recycle/services.htm
How do I get composting in my area?
Composting requires even more effort by departments, including the additional cost. Departments must work with the Campus Recycling and Refuse Services to set up this service.
More information on the campus composting program can be found at the CRRS website. Customer must open a work order with PP-CS (642-1032) for service. Campus Recycling and Refuse Services (CRRS) will then contact customer to get specific service information and will contract with the vendor to provide these services for the customer. Prices can range from around $25 a week (for a once a week pickup of a 32 gallon cart) to several hundred dollars (for more frequent pickup of a larger dumpster).
Should I stop using bottled water?
The Pacific Institute estimates that producing the bottles for American consumption in 2006 required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels (2,700,000 m3) of oil. While some of the larger water cooler bottles are re-used, many companies may only do so around 25 times before discarding. The Bay area generally has high quality drinking water, so switching to tap water may be an easy option for departments.
More information on the I Heart Tap Water campaign on campus can be found at: http://uhs.berkeley.edu/tapwater/campuscampaign.shtml
I have an aerosol can I'd like to recycle - where can I found a recycling location that will accept it or other unusual items?
Use the Recycling Wizard compiled by StopWaste.org! You can find out where you can recycle just about ANYTHING in Alameda County: http://www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=70. The web pages found there list where you can recycle a huge variety of items, from aerosol cans to mattresses and beyond. Also included is information about where items can be reused or donated. Where there are both reuse and recycling options, resources for both are noted. Finally, please pay attention to the information about proper disposal of common items such as motor oil, batteries, and needles that are potentially harmful or toxic when improperly managed.
Why should I use recycled content copy paper? Won't it jam my printer?
Use of recycled content paper reduces the amount of virgin wood must be used to make paper and also reduces energy usage. Departments are encouraged to use the highest recycled content copy in order to maximize the environmental benefits.
All manufacturers of the printer and copiers used on campus report that their machines are compatible with 30% post-consumer waste (PCW) paper. No warranties are voided by using PCW paper. While you may have heard about problems using recycled content paper (especially with 100%) there have been few such reports on campus. Issues such as jamming or curling are mostly related to the quality of the paper rather than the recycled content and are sometimes more obvious with larger volume printing or copying projects.
A number of campus departments have already made the transition to recycled paper for office machines, including to 100% PCW. Facilities Services, the Haas School of Business, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research use 100% PCW.
Recycled content copy paper can be purchased at most office supply outlets. Currently, Office Max sells 30% PCW for slightly less than virgin paper; 100% PCW is 20% more.
Additional information on sustainable copy paper can be found at: http://sustainability.berkeley.edu/OS/PaperGuidelines.htm
Where are the ReUse stations around campus?
There are several locations around campus set up by the ReUse project to facilitate the sharing of unneeded office supplies and equipment.
The current ReUse stations are located in the following buildings:
- Mulford Hall: Second floor, in the CNR louclass="style10"nge
- Minor Hall: Second floor, by the student lounge on the South side of the building
- Dwinelle Hall: Main Hall, next to room 165
- University Hall: Basement, at the foot of the stairs
- Unit 2: Basement, by the mailroom
- 2000 Carleton: Second floor, in the copy room
- Le Conte Hall: First Floor Mailroom, by room 156 and Second floor reading room
The old ReUSE shop in the MLK garage is permanently closed.
What are the greenhouse gas emission reductions from taking the stairs instead of the elevator?
It is difficult to find good data to answer this question. Not only is there wide variation among elevators in energy usage, but there have not been many studies done. The one number that was often cited was that an average elevator uses 2.5 Wh per floor in each direction, or 5 Wh per round trip.
If one assumes the average rider in a 10-story building makes two trips a day of five floors each, then the total energy used per rider is a year is:
- Total energy per rider per year = 5 Wh * 2 trips a day * 5 floors * 200 working days = 10,000 WH or 10 kWh per year.
If every rider cut back to one trip from two and there are 500 riders a day (a shaky assumption), then the total energy savings would be:
- Total energy savings per year = (10 kWh / 2) * 500 = 2,500 kWh per year or 3/4 of a ton of carbon.
The UCB total carbon inventory right now is 207,000 tons, but if people switched to stairs all over campus, the savings could add up.
At the same time each rider (in this example) would be burning calories:
- Total calories burned per year = 5 calories per flight of stairs * 5 floors * 200 working days = 5,000 calories, or about 1.5 pounds.
I'm new to sustainability, how do I get started?
Here are some links to useful campus resources:
Berkeley Institute of the Environment's Environmental Course Directory
Directory of Berkeley Student Organizations
What environmental events can I attend?
EnviroEvents.berkeley.edu is a calendar of campus sustainability and environmental events.
How can I receive updates about sustainability on campus?
Join our mailing list! Simply click here and enter your information.
Have a question about sustainability on campus? Email Lisa McNeilly at lmcneilly@berkeley.edu.