WCU Is Committed to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
WCU’s Office of Sustainability (OoS) organized a recent visit for a group of WCU faculty, staff, and students to Total Recycle in Birdsboro, PA, to see how the facility handles the University’s recycling. One immense machine
with umpteen moving parts constantly conveys mixed materials (paper and cardboard,
plastics, metals, glass, and some non-recyclable materials) through various checkpoints
where both employees and optical scanners sort the recyclables into the appropriate
streams for eventual bundling. Employees at several stations remove non-recyclable
materials such as wood and construction debris. The facility, operated by J.P. Mascaro
& Sons, handles 500 to 800 tons of recycling per week – materials that are diverted
from landfills.
Learn more about WCU’s single-stream recycling here.
For the academic year July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, WCU recycled 1,115 tons of material, 999 tons of which was single-stream recycling which goes through J.P. Mascaro. Other materials like electronics (31.45 tons) and scrap metal (19.87 tons) are recycled through other systems.
WCU students and employees can recycle personal electronics at Sykes Student Union and Francis Harvey Green Library. Our partner PAR-Recycle Works is a nonprofit electronics recycler that provides transitional employment to people returning from prison. Please reference this flyer with information on acceptable items before dropping them off.
WCU implemented a “mini bin” program a few years ago to increase campus awareness for recycling and make waste sorting easier for building occupants, reduce landfill waste, and enable custodial staff to spend more time on essential cleaning tasks. The use of mini bins rather than larger desk-side trashcans encourages individual responsibility regarding waste generation. Click here for a PDF of what to recycle and what to throw away.
Learn more about recycling on the Office of Sustainability initiatives page and on the West Chester University recycling information page.
Upcoming Sustainability Events
Wednesdays at noon
Sustainability Research and Practice Seminars
Sykes Student Union 255 A/B or via Zoom (link below)
Free and open to both campus and community.
Visit wcupa.edu/sustainability or email sustainability@wcupa.edu.
Two of the April programs will take place in different locations:
April 10 is the University’s second Zero Waste Summit, held in Sykes Student Union Ballrooms.
April 17’s program will take place in the Sciences and Engineering Center and The Commons, room 107.
Zoom https://wcupa.zoom.us/j/92058580576
Passcode: 711670
Wednesday, April 3, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
WCU’s Cottrell Entrepreneurship Center’s Social Innovation Competition and Social Impact Day
Business and Public Management Center Room 101
Hear two-minute pitches (Shark Tank style!) from the finalists of the Cottrell Social Innovation Competition, open to the campus community and alumni only. These entrepreneurs’ ideas must align with 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Stay for a Q&A with Tess Hart, co-founder of Triple Bottom Brewing, a Philadelphia-based B Corporation business whose name reflects their environmentally, socially, and economically responsible bottom-line mission: beer, people, planet.
Friday, April 5, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Brandywine Staff Workshop, Philips Autograph Library.
Light vegetarian breakfast and lunch are provided. Staff can learn more about sustainability at WCU, share ideas, and understand how each person on campus contributes to the University’s overall commitment to sustainability. Sign up for the workshop here.
Wednesday, April 10, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WCU’s Second Zero Waste Summit
Sykes Student Union Ballrooms
Students and peers present informational tables, a pop-up thrift, library resources, voter resources, student research presentations, DIYs, and more!
11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Interactive activities and discussions at tables.
12 to 1 p.m. Keynote presentation with Ramiro Murguia and Savannah Robledo of the Post Landfill Action Network (PLAN), part of the Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar series. PLAN equips students with the resources and tools necessary to holistically understand the waste crisis and lead solutions on their campuses.
1 to 2 p.m. Informational tables resume.
For information on these and other sustainability activities and programs, visit wcupa.edu/sustainability or email sustainability@wcupa.edu.