District-wide Recycling

In an effort to be more environmentally friendly, we will be stepping up our recycling at Arapahoe Library District and beginning an effort to replace all desk-side garbage bins with recycling bins. In addition, we will be replacing recycling bins in patron areas and adding signage to help encourage recycling. The rollout dates are as follows:
· 5/15/08-KE&DA
· 5/16/08-GL
· 5/23/08-CW
· 5/24/08-SM
· 5/30/08-SG
· 5/31/08-KO
· 6/07/08-SH

Because it would be difficult for patrons to rinse out their food and drink containers (and non-rinsed items contaminate the whole batch of recyclables), the recycling program will differ between the staff areas and the patron areas in each library. We hope this article will help clarify that difference.

For Public Areas:
For patrons, not much will change. There will still be trash receptacles in all public areas of the library. In addition, all current recycling bins will be replaced with blue bins for consistency. Patrons would find it difficult to rinse recyclable trash (such as soda cans, juice bottles and food containers), so we are not planning to try to recycle those items in the public areas. One contaminated food container thrown into a recycling bin can ruin a whole batch of good recyclable products. So, for patron areas, the focus will be on paper, cardboard, mixed paper, newspapers and magazines.

For Staff Areas:
For staff members, the rollout will be similar the recycling program introduced at the beginning of April in the Support Services building. Desk-side trash cans will be replaced with recycling bins, and trash receptacles will be placed in common areas. These new desk-side bins will be specifically for single stream recycling, which includes magazines, junk mail, office paper, phone books, brown paper bags, newspaper and cardboard.
In kitchen areas, staff will be given the opportunity to recycle rinsed food containers such as aluminum cans, bottles, yogurt containers and the like. All non-contaminated items can be co-mingled in one recycling container. Signs explaining acceptable Recyclable Items will be posted.

Recycling has come a long way. In the past we were all trained to sort recycling products, down to the staple from the papers it held together, but this is no longer necessary. Everything (as long as it is not contaminated) can now go into one recycling bin.
We have found a vendor that uses the Single Sort recycling process. Nearly everything you used to throw away can now be recycled, including glass, tin, aluminum, plastic (1-7; you can find these numbers inside the international recycle symbol on most plastic items), cardboard, mixed paper (glossy paper, sticky notes etc), newspaper, magazines, junk mail, brown paper bags, staples, and cardboard – all in one bin.

The only items still considered trash are those contaminated by food products. So, please do not put a tuna fish can coated with tuna, or a yogurt cup with yogurt and berries stuck to the bottom into the recycling bins. However, if you rinse these items out well, they can be recycled.

You can throw away food or contaminated items in the black garbage cans located in central areas, including: the kitchen, all meeting rooms, work rooms, café, and study rooms. Also, please dispose tissues, napkins and paper towels in the trash bins.

So what happens to everything you place in the recycling bins? I visited the recycling plant, and witnessed the line workers sorting the items into different bins to be correctly recycled. So rest assured, the items are being recycled in the most cost-effective way.

There will be signs posted in central areas. These signs will serve as reference tools for you. The information will also be posted on the Building & Grounds page on StaffNET, and the attached FAQ can also be used as a reference guide.
After carefully working on this project, we find this to be the best solution that will hopefully simplify the recycling process for everyone.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns, and thank you for helping make our work environment a little greener – every bit helps. Here is some general information about recycling:
· Currently, far more paper is recovered from recycling than is in land-fills.
· Paper accounts for two-thirds of all the packaging material recovered from recycling in the United States – more than glass, metal and plastic combined. The average office worker generates an estimated half pound of recyclable paper per day. Based on 20 working days per month, an office employing 20 people would generate 200 lbs. per month or well over a ton per year. Since we have over 330 people at Arapahoe Library District, that average is more than 19 tons per year. By recycling and reusing 19 tons of paper, we can save:
1. 336 trees
2. 138,600 gallons of water
3. 7,524 gallons of fuel
4. 81,180 kilowatt-hours of electricity
5. 59.4 cubic yards of landfill space
· Recycling improves public relations – 95% of businesses and customers prefer to do business with environmentally responsible organizations.
· Paper fiber can usually be recycled up to eight times.
· In 2006 the U.S. paper recovery rate achieved an all-time high of 55%. This was made possible by the efforts of millions of Americans who recycle at home, school and at work.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. How will the patron recycling program work?
For the patron recycling program, there will still be trash receptacles in all public areas of the library. However, one contaminated food container thrown into a recycling bin can ruin a whole batch of good recyclable products. For patron areas, the focus will be on paper, cardboard, mixed paper, newspapers and magazines.

2. Why isn’t it the same as the staff recycling program?
The patron recycling program is not the same as the staff recycling program because we cannot expect patrons to rinse recyclable trash since they do not have easy-access to sinks in the libraries.

3. How will the staff recycling program work?
Desk-side trash cans will be replaced with recycling bins, and trash receptacles will be placed in common areas. These new desk-side bins will be specifically for “single stream” recycling, which includes magazines, junk mail, office paper, phone books, brown paper bags, newspaper and cardboard. Everything (as long as it is not contaminated) can now go into one recycling bin.

4. What does “single stream” recycling mean?
We have found a vendor that uses the “single stream” recycling process. This means that nearly everything you used to throw away can now be recycled, including glass, tin, aluminum, plastic (1-7; you can find these numbers inside the international recycle symbol on most plastic items), cardboard, mixed paper (glossy paper, sticky notes etc), newspaper, magazines, junk mail, brown paper bags, staples, and cardboard – all in one bin.

5. So do I no longer have to sort my recyclables?
No, you no longer have to sort your recyclables. Everything (as long as it is not contaminated) can now go into one recycling bin.

6. What is considered “trash” and cannot be recycled?
Items still considered trash are those contaminated by food products, however, if you rinse these items out well, they can be recycled. Also, tissues, napkins and paper towels should be discarded in trash bins.

7. How will patrons be notified about the new recycling program?
Patrons will be notified about the new recycling program through signage that will be posted in each library. In addition, there will be an article in the July edition of The Dewey (available to patrons in early June) featuring our recycling program, as well as other ways that the Library District is “going green.”

For a downloadable version of this article and FAQ, please click the link below.District Wide Recycling Rollout and FAQ .doc