"Innovations" Case Studies: Government Facilities

Select Materials and Collection Methods

• Overview
• Source Separation
• Dry Commingled (Unseparated)
• Include an Education Element
• Waste-Efficient Landscaping

Overview

After exhausting waste prevention and reuse options, government facilities should maximize recycling opportunities for the remaining materials. Before determining what materials to collect for recycling, the agency should first determine what materials are generated in sufficient quantities to support a recycling program. The materials to collect for recycling and the methods used to collect those materials are specific to the organization and site. The methods used to collect, separate, store, and remove recyclables depends on the material types, volume, space availability, and services available to remove the materials. General recycling program options are categorized below.

Source Separation

Materials such as white paper, mixed paper, aluminum, glass, plastic, and cardboard are segregated by type into bins where they are initially discarded. This is the traditional approach to office recycling. Characteristics of a source-separated recycling program are:

• High value for recyclables recovered.
• Provides an adequate recovery rate to contribute to State waste diversion goals.
• Provides significant avoided disposal costs for building management.
• Requires only 5 percent more custodial staff time to handle discarded materials.
• Success (high recovery rate) based on employee education and involvement.

Dry Commingled (Unseparated)

All dry waste materials are mixed where initially discarded, then compacted and hauled away for a fee (usually less than the charge for trash). The materials are mechanically/manually sorted at a transfer station or materials recovery facility (MRF). Unacceptable materials typically include cafeteria and restroom waste, food/beverages, liquids, pallets, construction debris, and landscape waste. Characteristics of a dry commingled system are:

• Reduced recovery value of recyclables.
• Provides a high recovery rate to contribute to State waste diversion goals.
• Avoided disposal costs for building management depends on fee to haul away dry commingled recyclables.
• Requires minimal additional custodial staff time to handle discarded materials.
• Requires less employee education and involvement to achieve a high recovery rate.

Include An Education Element

Education is important to the success of any waste reduction program, and recycling collection is no different. The program should include training for staff on the collection system operations and on how staff participation determines the success of the program.

This training should cover materials being diverted and the proper location to put the recyclables, and it should clearly identify lists of unacceptable materials. Education increases participation in the program and minimizes contamination of recyclables, thereby increasing the volume of recyclables and the overall success of the program. Education needs to be done on an ongoing basis, particularly when new staff is hired or individuals move office spaces due to reorganizations.

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Waste-Efficient Landscaping

Landscape sites at government facilities can be maintained in an environmentally sound and cost-effective manner. Responsible landscape management practices include reducing green waste generation, reusing trimmings and prunings on site, and recycling organic products (mulch and compost) back into the landscape. Best management practices for landscaping include:

1. Controlled irrigation--water just enough to maintain plant health and appearance.
2. Precise fertilization--only apply precise amounts of necessary plant nutrients.
3. Grasscycling--the natural practice of leaving clippings on the lawn when mowing.
4. Selective pruning--techniques that result in less green waste and healthier plants.
5. On-site composting and mulching--use trimmings on-site as mulch and compost.
6. Proper organic materials application--use products derived from urban green waste.
7. Environmentally beneficial design--install low-maintenance drought-tolerant plants and waste-efficient landscape design features to reduce trimmings and prunings.

Practices that reduce green waste generation produce significant economic and environmental benefits. Direct savings can be realized by reduced maintenance, labor, water, and fertilizer cost. Indirect cost benefits include reduced hauling expenses and disposal fees. Another benefit is less exposure to workers’ compensation claims due to fewer crew injuries from lifting heavy loads.

On-site management of yard trimmings returns valuable high-quality nutrients and organic matter to the soil. This encourages healthier disease- and pest-resistant plants that improve appearance, prevent erosion, and increase pride in the property.

Using recycled organic materials in landscapes enhances soil fertility and water-holding capacity and slows evaporation losses. These practices increase plant drought tolerance, conserve water, and suppress the spread of wildfires. Using the environmentally beneficial landscape maintenance practices outlined above will reduce fertilizer and water usage, which in turn reduces toxic runoff that can lead to surface and groundwater pollution.

Fountain Circle, on the west side of California’s State Capitol, was selected as a demonstration ground for grasscycling. This was a cooperative effort among the CIWMB, Department of General Services (DGS), the Office of Buildings and Grounds (OBG), and the Toro Company, which supplied the mulching mower. This initial demonstration was so well received that OBG is now converting its entire fleet to grasscycling mowers. Results of the demonstration included:

• Mowing time reduced by more than 50 percent.
• Bagging and disposal cost eliminated.
• More than 300 pounds of grass clippings per 1,000 square feet recycled annually.
• Nitrogen content of recycled clippings reduced fertilizer needs by 25 percent.

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Last updated: October 26, 2007