Move-in cardboard recycling effort sets a record:
Over 23 tons of cardboard recycled by CU students
in only two weeks

September 12, 2003

Contact: Marianne Moulton, 303-492-8307 marianne.moulton@colorado.edu; Peter Caughey, 303- 492-4007

For Immediate Release

In only the two short weeks after students began arriving on campus, the CU Recycling Center collected and recycled 23.56 tons of cardboard – 42 percent more than was recycled at during last year’s move-in period.

Over 5,000 students moved in, bringing with them tens of thousands of cardboard boxes. More than 47,120 pounds of cardboard was recycled at CU’s student run recycling facility during the two week move in period from Aug. 21 to Sept. 4.

“It was a great way to introduce new students to recycling on campus while cutting down on waste,” said Marianne Moulton, assistant director of the CU Environmental Center and coordinator of the recycling effort.

For the fourth year, staff and student volunteers were on hand during move-in to help collect empty corrugated cardboard boxes at the loading docks of all CU-Boulder residence halls.

“Because there were so many kids showing me how easy it is to recycle, I didn’t throw away one piece of cardboard,” said freshman Liz Newton, who moved in Baker Hall. “I was also made aware of how easy it is to recycle on campus.”

The effort was a partnership between the CU Environmental Center, CU Recycling, Department of Housing and Facilities Management.

“Through this excellent partnership, we were able to provide opportunities for the students living on campus to make a positive and significant impact on protecting precious resources,” said Deb Coffin of the Department of Housing.

In only those two weeks, Coffin estimates that the university saved about $600 in trash disposal, in addition to saving 470 cubic yards of landfill space.

The recycling effort not only avoided disposal costs, but also conserved the equivalent of 286 40-foot trees, 165,000 gallons of water and 96,643 kilowatt hours of electricity, according to Moulton. It also eliminated an estimated 1,414 pounds of air pollution.

“This data is a tribute to our students' commitment to helping protect and preserve our environment,” Coffin said.

The CU Recycling program is a partnership of the University of Colorado Student Union, Facilities Management and the Department of Housing.