CU Recycling -- a program that serves 29,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff on the 650-acre CU-麻豆影院 campus -- is sporting new digs.
The program now boasts a $7.2 million facility鈥攁 two-story, 19,500-square-foot building located east of the Regent Drive AutoPark鈥攚ith a flexible layout geared toward improving safety and efficiency while increasing diversion rates. The building, shared with the campus grounds department, will help CU Recycling more easily accommodate changing waste streams and difficult-to-recycle items.
The space was designed to get CU-麻豆影院 closer to its goal of diverting 90 percent of campus waste from landfills, up from the current diversion rate of about 43 percent, or about 2,350 tons of material reused, composted or recycled annually.
鈥淲e want to ensure that materials are diverted and not thrown away,鈥� said Edward von Bleichert, environmental operations manager. 鈥淭his new facility allows us to maximize our existing collection program. It鈥檚 also safer, cleaner, brighter and more comfortable for our staff and student workers.鈥�
The center includes designated space for waste composition analysis and educational outreach and collaboration with students in support of the university鈥檚 academic mission. For example, an area of the facility can be used for programs that provide refurbished computers to underserved high school students.
The building itself is tracking for the U.S. Green Building Council鈥檚 LEED Gold rating with sustainability features that reduce energy and water usage.
All are welcome to the grand opening of the new campus recycling center to be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15. Event details are forthcoming.
For more information about CU Recycling, which was established in 1976, visit听.听
Contact:
Edward von Bleichert, 303-735-3627
edward.vonbleichert@colorado.edu
Nicole Gordon, 303-265-1173
nicole.gordon@colorado.edu
CU-麻豆影院's new recycling center is designed to accomodate changing waste streams and difficult-to-recycle items. (Photo by Casey Cass/麻豆影院)