2015 Iowa Recycling and Solid Waste Management Conference

1. Planning for Zero Waste Events
Iowa Recycling Association, Annual Conference
University of Iowa, Eric Holthaus
10-14-15

2. This is our challenge.

3. sustainability.uiowa.edu
This is our approach.

4. This is our potential.
35%
30%
11%
24%
Single-stream
recycling
Compost
Trash liners
Landfill

5. Our work needs to address two foundational areas.
Physical environment: Our surroundings speak our values.
Social environment: The people on our campus are
knowledgeable about reducing waste and advocate.

6. Recycling Optimization Projects
Public setup
Classrooms – no bins
Conference rooms – paired bins
TINY TRASH

7. The Hawkeye Way

8. Planning for Zero Waste Events
Where the importance of the physical and social environment
cannot be overlooked.

9. 10 years ago…
Event recycling did not happen.
No bins, no mission, tenuous interest.

10. Today
Good things
Mission
Dedicated staff
Successful zero waste events
Challenges
Ownership of waste minimization
Demand outpacing supply

11. Dance Marathon
• 100s of volunteers and
attendees
• Sustainability Committee
• Materials checklist
• Map of setup
• Training for committee,
by sustainability office
• Training for volunteers,
by committee
• Back-of-house trash,
recycle, and compost

12. Kinnick Stadium
• 100s of students, parents,
and coaches
• 7:00 a.m. in the morning
• Complexity
• Many moving parts
• Many outreach attempts
• Attention from ADs

13. Move Out
• 100s of students, minimal
planning for move-out
• Partners: Goodwill, Crisis
Center, Housing, Eco Hawks,
Alternative Spring Break
• List of materials
• Move-out truck available
every day of the week
• Increase diversion 5X
• Advertisement from UH&D
critical
Year Goodwill and
Habitat ReStore
Crisis
Center
2012 3,733lbs 3,250lbs
2013 5,250 3,000
2014 2,563 3,551
2015 17,545 3,613

14. Not a good practice
• An Event Planning Form is
used to schedule events and
accommodations.
• A person can make the
selection “Yes, I want to
compost at this event.”
• That has lead to a situation
where bins are set up without
attention to detail.

15. What we’re up to now
Laying infrastructure
Creating resources
Transitioning responsibility
Researching purchasing policies