New York University is saying no to waste by rethinking its current recycling regime, Zero Waste, across campus.
George Reis, NYU’s Manager of Grounds and Waste Management, has worked with the school for 22 years and has played an integral role in implementing eco-friendly practices around the university’s 11 acres of green spaces.
Planning is in the early stages, but the team knows that the new bins will be more beautifully designed and more colorful to easily define which items should be composted or recycled.
“Even I get confused!” Reis admitted. In his opinion, garbage is NYU’s biggest obstacle in terms of becoming more eco-friendly.
The horticulture enthusiast explained that NYU’s current disposal system is unclear, resulting in an annual average diversion rate of about 30%. This means that only 30% of NYU’s entire waste stream is either composted or recycled, while 70% of waste ends up in landfills.
Although NYU’s diversion rate is difficult to improve because of the hyper-urban school’s space constraints, Reis and his team know we can do better.
While there is no specific date in mind, the waste management team would like to see this project implemented within the next few months. Reis said it would be best to start using the new bins in one location to see how they affect the school’s diversion rate. If successful, more classes, dining halls and residence halls will begin to see these eco-friendly bins in time.
The current disposal system is problematic because it only offers two options for waste: compost or recycling. Most students do not know what is compostable versus what is recyclable. Reis said that the most common complaint he gets is that students put garbage in the recycling bins, which prevents that bin from being recycled properly.
Here’s why NYU’s waste matters: the university is an extremely urban school with an impressive piece of real estate. A public record from May, 2016 shows that NYU owns just under 100 New York addresses, making it the second largest private landowner in the city after the Trustees of Columbia.
The university shows no signs of slowing down either. A 2010 article by The New York Times explains that the university is aiming to have 240 academic square feet per student by 2031.
NYU is not only large in acreage, but also in student numbers. According to the US News & World Report, NYU has a total enrollment of over 50,000 graduates and undergraduates. That is over 50,000 opportunities for incorrect sorting after meals.
With such a far reach across New York, mainly in Manhattan, but also at the Tandon School of Engineering in Brooklyn, NYU has the ability to inspire city wide change. If a large institution such as NYU were to take up more eco-friendly practices, it could encourage other New York real estate owners to do the same, leading to a greener concrete jungle.