Recycling at The Rockefeller University

While The Rockefeller University is best known for its prolific scientific output, there’s something else it produces in great quantities: trash. Each year, the university’s community of 2,000 people produces over 1900 tons of waste – about 79 tons per Nobel. Disposing of that waste is no simple task: it requires the efforts of 4 full time personnel, who work to segregate, prepare and transport seven different waste streams, from biohazardous and radioactive waste, to recyclable paper and plastic, to the remnants of yesterday’s sloppy joes. Here’s how the process currently works. Every evening, custodial staff make the rounds to empty approximately 220 recycling bins from offices, labs and public areas. Over about six hours, between 4 and 10 p.m., waste is hauled through the service tunnels to the 64th Street loading dock, where it’s placed in three-yard dumpsters. Rockefeller recycles paper, plastic, glass and metal. Let’s follow the paper. At about 3 a.m., it’s loaded into a truck owned by NMS Carting, a Brooklyn based waste hauling company. It’s trucked to a recycling center in Greenpoint, where items are sorted by grade, baled and prepared for transportation to mills in Virginia or China. It’s ultimately remanufactured into new paper, diapers, insulation or other goods. Recyclable plastic, glass and cans meet a similar fate. Plastic is typically made into furniture or synthetic lumber; glass is used to manufacture concrete, brick and paint; and cans are made into new cans that can be back on store shelves in as little as 60 days. Meanwhile, other types of recyclables including alkaline batteries, toner cartridges, fluorescent light bulbs, and “e-waste” such as obsolete computers and electronics are collected on a voluntary basis and shipped via courier to specialized recyclers. But the process doesn’t always go so smoothly. In order to be used, recyclables must be reasonably clean. When food waste is thrown in a recycling bin, every item in the bin becomes trash. Conversely, when recyclable items are tossed in with trash, it’s not just a missed opportunity, it’s an expense: trash costs significantly more to dispose of than recyclables; and disposing of biohazard waste, which must be carefully handled, tracked and incinerated, costs almost twice as much as regular trash. The university is currently in the process of rolling out new, more clearly marked trash receptacles. If everyone pitches in, it’s estimated we can double our recycling rate, saving time and money. Of course, recycling is only one way of contributing to a greener campus. In addition to segregating trash, you can help by choosing reusable china when eating in at the café, by turning off lights and equipment when they are not being used, and by taking the stairs. The university is contributing by implementing green horticultural practices on campus grounds, by producing eco-friendly printed materials, and by taking a number of steps toward better energy efficiency. You can find out more on our sustainability website at sustainability.rockefeller.edu.