Starting Nov. 5, the Sustainability Office and a School of Environmental Sciences thesis group will be running the first-ever “Adopt-a-Bin” community recycling monitoring program at the University of Guelph.
More than 200 volunteers are needed to monitor all of the recycling and garbage bins on campus, approximately 140 bins in 61 locations. Adopt-a-Bin participants will choose a bin that’s in a convenient location for them to visually inspect two to four times a day.
The program focuses on the relationship individuals have with the waste they create. Recycling co-ordinator Paul Caruso says, “Adopt-A-Bin creates an awesome opportunity for the University of Guelph community to become acquainted with its waste in a fun and silly way, as in ‘I’m naming my bin Chelsea!’
“This program gives us a chance to get some numbers that we can use to improve our programs and learn how everything really works.”
Information gathered during the two weeks will help the Sustainability Office better understand the waste created at U of G. Analyzing the data collected will indicate which buildings and departments generate the most waste, the peak hours for waste disposal, and how well recycling is currently being sorted.
The environmental science group is interested in individuals’ attitudes towards their waste generation and how these attitudes may change over the span of the program.
Training dates for volunteers are Oct. 29 and 30 and Nov. 1 and 2. Staff and students who are interested in adopting a bin should contact Paul Caruso by email: recycle@pr.uoguelph.ca.