Campus gets cash for trash

The University of Alabama Recycling Department recycles a variety of items that can turn into fast cash. A tractor-trailer of 44,000 pounds of compacted recycled paper leaves the dock at least once a week, and there is revenue generated in return. While this department is responsible for all recycling done on campus, the revenue it gets in return is small in comparison to the bigger picture of bettering the environment.

“Our revenue that we generate just goes back in to help our operational budget to supply and help pay for the payroll and expenses,” executive director Tony Johnson said.

Revenue goes into funding items such as the bins seen on campus and the recycling bags put into these bins. Blue carts used to maneuver materials in the warehouse costs nearly $500. The round blue receptacles cost $100 each, and the flat blue ones seen in every building on campus cost between $70 and $80. The tri-bins on the Quad will be replaced with bins that cost almost $700. Some of the bags used in the bins cost 38 cents, while others cost close to $1.50.

“At a $1.47 each, even when they’re full of plastic, the amount of income we generate from that doesn’t even pay for that bag,” said Tim Mask, warehouse services coordinator. “We have a lot of expenses … and we’ve got three guys coming back all day long bringing stuff back.”

At least 5,000 pounds of recycled material is brought from campus to the warehouse daily. Revenue is not generated for every item that is recycled, and the amount of money that will be earned varies depending on the market. For instance, last April, when the tornado hit, the need for recycled wood decreased because of its abundance. As the economy shifts, so do the market prices.

The last yellow sheet that Johnson received last week featured prices per short ton for the following items in the month of March: newspapers at $90, sorted office paper at $155 and corrugated paper at $125.

For items such as computers, Johnson said they have a contract with Georgia Computers that does all e-recycling. Some computer monitors have mercury that can be hazardous in landfills.

“Instead of us just selling them in a surplus lot where we don’t know who’s getting them or we don’t know who it goes to, this is a way it is recycled accordingly,” he said.

Print cartridges are also recycled, but not for revenue. The department works with HP and Staples with recycling of the cartridges that come from various locations around campus.

Though the Recycling Department gets funds for some of the materials they recycle, the focus of the facility is strictly on bettering the environment and keeping materials out of the landfills.

“We’re more focused on diverting as much as possible from the local landfill and trying to be good stewards of the environment,” Johnson said. “And, that’s why what money we do generate, we put it back into the department to continue to upgrade our containers so we can make it more noticeable to students to recycle.”

“Every pound we recycle, that’s a pound that we don’t have to pay for us to carry to the landfill,” Mask said. “Not only are we generating revenue, we’re saving money on the other end from keeping it out of the landfill. We’re also keeping it out of the landfill to help the environment.”

As of March 27, the department has saved more than 6,000 trees, 135,000 gallons of oil, nearly 1.5 million kilowatts of energy and almost 2.5 million gallons of water.

The Recycling Department has won numerous national awards for its work, and the staff hopes progress will continue.

For more information on the recycling work at UA, visit their website, visit them on 14th Street or call 205-348-8798.

print/web April 5, 2012

http://cw.ua.edu/2012/04/05/campus-gets-cash-for-trash/

More than 10 percent of Dining Dollars go unused each year

Every UA student is well aware of the mandatory purchases of $300 in Dining Dollars and a freshman year meal plan that are required. But like so many plates at the dining halls, there are often leftovers on student accounts. What happens to those?

Mandatory Dining Dollars have been debated so much that students have taken the issue to court. The dining dollar balance on each student’s account at the end of the semester is transferred to become Bama Cash, which can be used on campus and at various food locations around Tuscaloosa.

“Of the total deposits to Dining Dollars each year the average refunded per student request is less than 1% of the total deposits and about 12% of total deposits are rolled to Bama Cash,” said Kristina Hopton-Jones, director of University Dining Service. “This is surprisingly consistent year to year.”

“I think that the 300 dollars is a good price for student who have meal plans and eat on campus a lot,” said Jessica Jackson, a sophomore majoring in exercise and sports science. “I have never used my entire amount of Dining Dollars. However, for people who live off campus and use their Dining Dollars every day, I think that this could be increased because they use that money like it’s nothing.”

Meal plans do roll over from the fall to spring semesters but are eliminated after the spring.

“Meal Plan balances do not roll over [after the spring] because the funds collected as payment for the meal plan are budgeted to allow Bama Dining to purchase food, pay workers, pay for utility and maintenance charges and all other operating costs involved in serving over 1 million meals per year,” Hopton-Jones said. “Bama Dining prepares meals for all students currently enrolled in a meal plan for each meal anticipating they will utilize their plan. At the end of the spring semester, the total fee paid for the meal plan purchased has been used to operate the dining facilities throughout the academic year.”

As the semesters come to a close, some students are left with only a guest meal swipe to use, while others end up with a large number of unused meals.

“I think that meal plans should roll over for those who purchase the mega meal plans at the beginning of the semester,” said Beonica Taylor, a junior majoring in English. “I think those people who have the smaller meal plans should have the option of receiving more Dining Dollars. The price of meal plans is a little steep so they should roll over.”

All freshman students are required to get at least a Bama Silver plan as a part of Bama Dining’s First-Year Experience. There is an exemption form available for those freshmen who have dietary conflicts.

Meal plan options for freshmen go from Bama Silver’s 160 per semester to an unlimited plan. Jackson said she purchased the Bama Unlimited plan.

“I have had an unlimited meal plan for my entire time here at the Capstone,” she said. “I hate not being able to eat when I want to, and I also hate the fact that I always have to pay like 10 dollars for meals that don’t even fill me up at fast food restaurants. I love the easiness of the dining halls, as well as being able to eat however much I want and not having to keep paying for it.”

Bama Dining offers special, smaller meal plan deals closer to the end of the semester for students who are running low on meals. The company has been advertising their Thrifty 20 and Bama 50 plans around campus.

“The 20 meal plans they offer at the end of the semester is a good idea for those who want to spend that money,” Taylor said. “I’m glad they offer it but, personally, wouldn’t pay extra for it for the last few weeks in school.”

print/web 4.3.12

http://cw.ua.edu/2012/04/03/more-than-ten-percent-of-dining-dollars-go-unused-each-year/