Category: Recycling

Clemson Recycling had the opportunity to partner with the Boy Scouts and the City of Clemson to create a bioretention basin in Gateway Park along the Green Crescent Trail. Clemson Recycling donated compost for the project, which was used along with topsoil to create a soil mix for filling in space where eroded land was removed. Not only will this project beautify and control erosion in the park, it will create a valuable opportunity to educate the Clemson community about the uses of compost in caring for the environment.

The majority of the work took place last week in Gateway Park. The City of Clemson prepared for the project by digging out eroded areas of land, and the Boy Scouts came to the park on Saturday to work. Removing the eroded areas of land made room for swales, which work similarly to gutters, catching all the rainwater. Where a gutter would allow all the water to just pour out and away, a swale catches the water and slowly releases it back to the earth over time. On Saturday, the Boy Scouts worked together to fill in the swales with the soil mix. Soil mix is better than clay because it provides for greater permeability and it promotes a healthy soil ecosystem for future planting.

Projects like this are wonderful ways for the community to be inspired by others showing their appreciation for the environment. According to a Water Resource agent with Clemson University, bioretention projects like this one are great examples of “Low Impact Development (LID) within our Clemson community.” Normally, rainwater would build up and flood nearby roads, parking lots and rooftops. Buildup of water like this can contribute to “erosion and pollution of ground and surface water via stormwater runoff.” Thanks to this project, our water is cleaner, and our landscape is healthier and more beautiful. It’s because of people like those involved with this project that our shared resources can continue to improve!

It’s never too late to think green. As a new academic year begins, so too does Clemson’s Zero Waste Challenge (ZWC).

Clemson departments, colleges, student clubs, and other teams participate by completing challenges like skipping the straw, incorporating a green tailgating tip, or volunteering for a sustainability event. When the challenges are completed, teams post their success on their social media accounts, tagging @CURecycling and using the #ClemsonZWC hashtag. Teams earn cool prizes, such as a reusable straw, sweatshirt with ZWC logo, or even a football signed by Coach Swinney! Challenges are tiered from level 1 to level 4, with the level number equal to the number of points earned for completing that challenge (e.g. team completes a level 4 challenge, it earns 4 points).

The ZWC is brought to Clemson by Recycling Services, along with its partners, Solid Green Club, EcoReps, Clemson University Student Government, Athletics, Dining, Clemson Home, Inside Clemson, and University Facilities.

As part of Recycling Services’ mission to support and foster a greener campus and encourage environmentally conscience decisions, the semester long challenge reminds students, faculty and staff to think green.

Check out the ZWC site for a complete list of prizes, the official ZWC scoreboard, and other information.

Clemson University Recycling is teaming up with Shred-A-Way to host a free secure-shred day event on campus. Shred-A-Way will be located in the C-12 parking lot (corner of Perimeter Road and Williamson Road) on Friday, August 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Please limit the documents you bring to (1) box or three bags (kitchen trash bags or smaller) per vehicle. There is no need to remove binders, binder clips, paper clips, staples, rubber bands, or CDs/DVDs prior to shredding. This event is intended to help manage typical secure-shredding needs, not full-scale office clean outs. Keeping within these guidelines will ensure an efficient operation and timely service while helping keep the cost of this event free.

With the Spring semester concluding this Friday, much of the student body will be leaving campus until Fall. University Housing in collaboration with University Facilities is helping ease the move-out by providing disposal containers in convenient locations throughout campus, with donation drop-offs setup at various points.

Disposal Container Locations

Locations of disposal containers for the spring 2018 move-out can be viewed below. They’ve been placed specifically for the convenience of students living currently within residence halls.

Key:

Green – Cardboard
Red – Landfill
Blue – Metal
Pink – Miscellaneous

Donation Drop-Off Locations

If you have belongings that you wish to donate to charity, the visual below shows where items can be dropped-off.

Thanks in advance for taking advantage of these options to help Clemson reduce, reuse and recycle. Have a safe summer and we look forward to supporting you in the Fall!

Clemson University’s Recycling Services once again pulled ahead of the competition and scored first place in the EPA Food Recovery Challenge for Region 4. EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge includes organizations such as educational institutions, restaurants, sports and entertainment venues and others that pledge to improve their sustainable food management practices and report their results. Recycling manager Dave VanDeventer and recycling coordinator Brittany Morra recently traveled to Atlanta to accept the annual award.

Officials in this competition cited Clemson’s dedication to converting as much food waste to compost as possible. The victory is primarily based on the gross volume of compost recycled in relation to the school’s size. Over the past year, Clemson produced approximately 440,000 pounds of compost with waste converted onsite at the Cherry Crossing Research Facility. The compost is used for landscaping projects on campus and is also sold to the surrounding communities.

The increase in recycled food waste corresponds with a campus-wide increase in zero-waste events, such as summer orientation dinners and the annual freshman picnic. Thanks to Aramark’s participation and the generous work of student volunteers, most athletic games (basketball, football, etc.) have steadily approached zero-waste.

As part of this ongoing trend, Recycling Services has coordinated with Littlejohn Coliseum operations to sponsor a special zero-waste basketball game on Feb. 28. The department also plans on maintaining the competitive spirit by participating in the national Recycle-Mania against 600 other colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada.

Recycling Services is actively seeking volunteers to assist with events throughout campus and welcome students to help contribute to this effort. Those interested are encouraged to contact the department by e-mail at recycle@clemson.edu.