Earlham College | News from Public Affairs

Groundskeeper Rob Foreman loads corrugated cardboard into a baler near where a new central recycling station will be created as part of Earlham's redesigned recycling program.

RICHMOND, Ind. — A grant from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and the Computer Recycling Event are two examples of how Earlham College is moving forward with its efforts toward protecting the environment and holding to its Quaker principles.

The IDEM grant focuses on education and equipment for a retooled campus recycling program, and the Computer Recycling Event helps prevent discarded computer equipment containing toxic materials from entering landfills.

"Recycling adheres to the Quaker simplicity ethos of minimizing our environmental impact," says Scott Hess, assistant professor of English and convener of the Environmental Responsibility Committee (ERC). "Recycling is one of the clear things everyone on campus can do."

More than six tons (12,596 lbs.) of old computer equipment was collected during the first Computer Recycling Event at the Carpenter Hall parking lot on Feb. 24. Items that were accepted included desktop computers, laptops, monitors, printers, computer peripherals, televisions, microwaves and cell phones. A $10 fee per vehicle was charged to help pay for transporting the collected materials to RecycleForce, LLC, in Indianapolis for de-manufacturing.

Tom Steffes, director of Earlham Computing Services, says the hope is to sponsor the Computer Recycling Event twice each year. The types of electronics being collected often contain lead and harmful chemicals that leach into the soil and ground water when disposed of in landfills.

Hess says the IDEM grant also will help area landfills. The ERC, which was created and began meeting last spring, applied for the IDEM grant in an effort to rethink Earlham's environmental policy.

"The grant will allow us to take a more standardized approach to recycling," Hess says.

Within the next two weeks, new recycling bins will begin to appear across campus at 24 outdoor stations and in campus buildings. The bins will be clearly labeled with appropriate signage as needed. Recyclables from the new bins will be transported to a central recycling station just south of the Maintenance buildings, where the material will be weighed using three new hand truck scales.

Work-study students and/or grounds crew members will do a final sorting of the material to prevent contamination.

"One of the biggest problems with recycling is contamination," says Director of Facilities Glen Haywood. Although it doesn't always happen, Haywood says that if a single piece of material is in the wrong bin, the whole load can be trashed.

"We think that with good education and the new clearly labeled bins, contamination will be less of a problem," Hess says. "And the nice looking containers should make more people want to take part in the campus recycling."

In addition, grant funds will be used for faculty and staff training sessions, as well as detailed instruction for those involved with sorting and transporting the recyclables. Flyers will be created, and a brochure describing Earlham's recycling program will be created and distributed to all first-year students.

The grant totals $50,000 with IDEM funding $24,998 and Earlham matching that amount with work hours and work-study funds. All components of the IDEM grant should be completed by fall semester, Haywood says.

The Computer Recycling Event and the retooled campus recycling programs are just the beginning.

"We will continue to increase our environmental responsibility as a whole," Haywood says. "This is just a starter, but it is a very appropriate part of the puzzle."

The ERC has prepared short-, medium- and long-term lists of ideas that include installing tankless water heaters, studying the feasibility of an Earlham wind farm, and installing "smart" motion detector switches on vending machines.

Contact:
Scott Hess, assistant professor of English
765/983-1504 — E-Mail Scott