Types of Waste

In summary, sustainable purchasing practices are practical and cost-effective. The following are factoids about many types of waste and suggestions for what you can do.

Campus Waste

• The average college student produces 640 pounds of solid waste each year, including 500 disposable cups and 320 pounds of paper. It is estimated that every year 222 million tons of waste will be generated by college students alone.
• Campuses offering incentives for double-sided copying have cut paper use and costs almost in half!
• Implementing a recycling collection as infrequent as once a week has diverted about 40% waste at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
• Campuses offering reusable mugs and drink discounts have seen disposable waste decrease by as much as 30%.

Electronic Waste (E-Waste)

• E-waste is made of many toxic ingredients such as lead, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, and brominated-flame retardants that pose both an occupational and environmental health threat.
• It is estimated that electronic waste currently represents between two and five percent of the national municipal solid waste stream, and is expected to increase by three to five percent per year.
• More than 4.6 million tons of e-waste ended up in U.S. landfills in 2000.
• Millions of pounds of electronic waste from obsolete computers and TVs are being generated in the U.S. each year and huge amounts (an estimated 50% to 80% collected for recycle) are being exported.

Energy

• The United States spends roughly $440 billion annually for energy. Energy costs U.S. consumers $200 billion and U.S. manufacturers $100 billion annually.
• In 2004, Americans with the help of ENERGY STAR saved about $10 billion on their energy bills while reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 20 million cars.
• Residential appliances, including heating and cooling equipment and water heaters, consume 90% of all energy used in the U.S. residential sector.

National Waste

• Every year, the average American household will spend $17,000.00 on basics including food, clothing, body care, and other household items. And over the past 30 years, the waste produced in this country has almost tripled, from 88 million tons in 1960 to about 236 million tons in 2003.
• In a study done in 1996, Americans, who make up only five percent of the world's population, used nearly a third of its resources and produced almost half of its hazardous waste.
• More than 100 million trees worth of bulk mail arrives in American mailboxes each year; that's the equivalent of deforesting the entire Rocky Mountain National Park every four months.
• U.S. pesticide amounts used in both 2000 and 2001 exceeded 1.2 billion pounds.

Recycling

One ton (40 cases) of 100% post-consumer paper SAVES the equivalent of:

• 24 trees (forty feet in height and 6-8 inches in diameter)
• 7,000 gallons of water
• 4,100 kilowatt hours of electricity
• 60 pounds of air pollution

What You Can Do

• Always request environmentally preferable products and services.
• Always purchase Energy Star rated appliances and electronics.
• Ensure that the energy saving features are enabled on all equipment.
• Use green cleaning chemicals and techniques.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Buy Recycled.
• Print on both sides of the paper.
• Avoid over packaged products, provide your own reusable bag.
• Use and purchase 100% recycled paper whenever possible.
• Introduce Purchase Fair Trade Certified, local, and organic coffee and teaorganic food and beverages whenever possible (especially coffee and tea in the office!)
• Purchase products that are in compliance with the US Green Building Council's LEED rating system.
• Invest in reusable plates, cups, and utensils
• Make sure your office recycles glass, paper, aluminum, and plastics, batteries and electronics.
• Replace office incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs
• Encourage the use of green alternative transportation to and from work (car pool, public transportation, walk, bike, etc.)