Campus recycling update from FDO

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Campus recycling update from FDO

November 4, 2025

For the past few months, Facilities Development & Operations (FDO) has been working with campus stakeholders, student workers, and Western's waste hauling service, SSC, to assess recycling needs around campus and establish appropriate service levels. SSC began providing recycling services to the university last spring when trucks used by Western's self-haul program had to be taken out of service.

Adding SSC services to Western's existing waste management accounts was not difficult, but performing analysis of waste and recycling volumes and working through logistics to optimize service levels takes more time.

For example, when students returned for the fall quarter, FDO found that the recycling toters at Buchanan Towers couldn't handle the volume of recyclable materials and so arranged with SSC to replace the toters with dumpsters that allow for appropriate sorting. We have also seen some waste overflows, especially on Monday mornings after campus weekend events. In those circumstances, FDO sends crews to clean up and arranges for an additional pickup from SSC. Teams have also been managing pest control daily for months, with overflows contributing to the problems. As areas that need more attention emerge, FDO works to adjust the pickup schedule or the waste containers to address those needs.

Western was one of the first universities in the country to establish a recycling program, and it was student workers who initiated the project and led the efforts for many years. While recycling services now fall under FDO management, we aim to continue that legacy, and we could not accomplish what we do without the students' day-to-day involvement, especially in problem solving and communication.

Still, there have been many changes in the recycling industry over the years which require that we modernize our own program. A primary focus during the transition is the safety of our students and staff. Waste management tends to have higher injury and accident rates than other industries, so we need to be especially thoughtful in how we are managing this risk. Replacing the old blue barrels, which had to be lifted and moved by hand, with wheeled toters and dumpsters reduces risk of injury and adds efficiency.

Moving to single stream recycling, now the industry standard, in which recyclable materials are sorted off-site, adds efficiency to the process. Since FDO is still evaluating and adjusting the service with SSC, we do not yet have firm cost figures, but we expect to see significant savings from streamlining our waste operations, which should help with university-wide budget constraints.

There are many benefits to consolidating recycling and other waste operations within Facilities Development & Operations (FDO), including more resources for outreach and education, the ability to build a comprehensive strategy for reducing overall waste, and opportunities for students to learn more about the entire waste management process. FDO has expanded the Zero Waste program and has three student employees working on waste audits and educational programs, along with the many students who work in the field with FDO custodial and outdoors teams in recycling and waste education, sorting, and collection. Students are also working with FDO teams to build a new waste operations webpage with a comprehensive recycling guide and other useful information. We are working with the Sustainability Engagement Institute to create outreach and education plans for the campus community and to update the Sustainability Action Plan, which includes a focus on waste management.

Members of the campus community can help by reducing waste with thoughtful purchasing choices, placing waste in appropriate containers, and letting FDO customer service know when they see problems. Anyone at Western can initiate a Ready request or email [email protected] to report problems with waste management. Overflows and improperly sorted materials are perennial problems on campus, and the more quickly we know about a problem, the more quickly we can fix it.

We also continue to collaborate with student and permanent staff to develop effective outreach programs to keep our community engaged and educated about changes. Western is working toward a safe, sustainable, transparent, and educational waste management system. We plan to continue to offer hands-on educational opportunities to students interested in sustainability careers, and we greatly appreciate the support we get from our campus partners.