UVM Recycling and Solid Waste staff are responsible for trash collection from all university buildings including residence halls, academic/administrative buildings, dining facilities and research facilities. Each year, the UVM community sends over 1,800 tons of solid waste to a landfill—or about 250 pounds for each student, faculty and staff member per year.
In the Fall of 2006, UVM entered a new five-year service contract with a selected vendor. All Cycle Waste is a division of a Vermont-based company, Casella Waste Systems. The service contract encourages a partnership where both parties work towards the goal of collecting and disposing of waste in the most efficient manner. Solid waste disposal "tipping fees" are paid by the ton, thus providing the University with a financial incentive to reduce waste. The plan included a transition from a rear-load vehicle collection system to a front-load system with the vendor providing over 90 brand new trash dumpsters to UVM. This new system will reduce the drive time on the route each day, enabling the truck to be off the campus roadways earlier in the day. Most of the campus buildings will be serviced in this manner.
Some buildings (including Billings, Living/Learning, Harris-Millis, CBW, Given Medical Complex and Health Science Research Facility) have larger self-contained trash compactors on site. These are emptied by a contractor on an “as needed” basis, generally about once per week. This system also reduces the amount of truck traffic and hauling that's required at these larger buildings. The larger self-contained trash compactors also help with odor and rodent control.
Click here to see "Before and After" photos of some trash area aesthetic improvemements we have done over the years.
Last modified April 17 2007 10:12 PM
