At current rates, Raleigh will need a new landfill in eight years, and no one wants the next one built in their backyard, Sarah Ketchem explained to the Staff Senate at its December meeting.

So extending the life of the current landfill should be a priority for everyone, NC State's program manager for Waste Disposal and Recycling told the group.

"The reason that recycling and waste reduction are so important is that this stuff has to go somewhere," Ketchem said. "NC State takes more than 100 tons — or 200,000 pounds — of trash each week (to the landfill), not including contractor debris, so we are making a huge impact on the landfill in Wake County."

Not only does waste reduction help save the community, but it can also save the university money.

"In 2000, we avoided $290,000 in landfill fees by recycling, and we also made over $50,000 revenue on the recyclables that we sold," Ketchem said.

Recycling is the first thing that comes to mind for many people when waste disposal is mentioned, Ketchem said, but it's not necessarily the most important aspect. In fact, she said, it's the last of the "three Rs."

"The first goal is to reduce what you're using," she said "then try to re-use items as much as possible."

Several new initiatives have helped NC State greatly improve its recycling efforts. Ketchem said red bins located inside the residence halls have made a huge difference in reducing waste in those areas, and desk-side white paper recycling for faculty and staff have increased recycling participation.

Ketchem's office is currently working on a number of new projects, including obtaining a compost permit, creating a student crew to collect beverage containers near classrooms and take them to the centralized recycling locations, and working on a study to improve efficiency in unloading dumpsters.

Ketchem had several helpful hints for employees, among them:

Posted December 11, 2002

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