New Initiative tackles electronic waste using new recycling methods around campus

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Butler University has expanded its electronic waste and battery recycling program in pursuit of being a Zero Waste Campus by 2030. The Office of Sustainability has partnered with IT and the Operations Department by placing battery buckets in 17 different locations. This initiative pushes the baseline forward in what Butler is doing regarding electronic waste, making it “easier than ever” to recycle.

According to Julie Lindeman, the assistant director of operational sustainability, the end-of-year move-outs showed a lack of recycling amongst the student population.

“[We were] getting calls from concerned faculty members [and] concerned community members, that there were just so many usable items that people were throwing away,” Lindeman said. “We were just seeing a lot of electronics … It’s illegal to throw electronics away in the dumpster.”

Beyond reducing pollution, these plans will improve campus safety. 

Lydia Verbrugge, a senior marketing and psychology double major, researched the safety of batteries during her internship at the Office of Sustainability. Throwing batteries into the trash can cause fires from sparking, and aging batteries can leak chemicals into the ground.

“[Batteries] are literally poisoning the water that we drink, foods that we eat, and things like that,” Verbrugge said. “It’s just a lot of chemicals that are going into the ground.” 

The current problem is getting people to engage in the program. Lindeman said that students and faculty have a hard time knowing what they can recycle and where they can recycle. Currently, there is no advertising around campus about the new program or the rules of what can and cannot be recycled. The Office of Sustainability has a plan to spread the message, including a mass recycling day on March 14 at Hinkle Fieldhouse from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“The next step is getting signage everywhere on campus,” Lindeman said. “We’re working through getting the correct signage and the most visible places on campus.” 

Currently, the Operations Department is picking up the buckets once a month, and IT is accepting more electronics as the program is solidifying. However, that does not mean that every electronic device can be taken, as there are still limitations to this system. For more information, students and faculty can visit Butler’s Electronic Waste Collection Information Website.  

Ella McGrath, a first-year strategic communications and sports media double major, says not knowing where her items were going was the main issue of why she does not recycle. 

“I didn’t ever really see the point, because I was always told that it all goes to the same place,” McGrath said.

Lindeman and the Office of Sustainability hope that the ease of a drop bucket encourages students to recycle their batteries and electronic waste. Lindeman also said that the Office of Sustainability toured the company that recycles the electronic waste from campus, Tech Recyclers, and hopes students can trust that their efforts are actually beneficial.

The Office of Sustainability got to view the entire recycling process at Tech Recyclers over the summer. They were shown how the electronics are broken down into raw materials to be reused.

“It’s really beneficial for our university to have that transparency with these providers that are giving us a service to make sure that they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing,” Lindeman said. “The Office of Sustainability took a tour, and basically, they take anything that’s with a cord or a battery … They take out the components that are electronic … Then all of the other pieces get broken down into a machine, and it doesn’t go to landfill.” 

The Office of Sustainability hopes that the initiative encourages students to recycle not just paper, but everything they can, including electronics.

 Courtesy: www.thebutlercollegian.com