Recycling and Waste Reduction

Recycling and Waste Reduction

EPA Region 4, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Programs and Materials Management Branch and the University of Louisville Center for Environmental Policy and Management EFC4 (CEPM/EFC4) partnered to develop two guides to assist post-secondary institutions with organizing new or expanding existing organics recovery programming with a special focus on composting. These advisory documents provide colleges and universities technical guidance on policies, technical and economic feasibility, and implementation issues relevant to developing a sustainable management protocol for organics.

Multifamily recycling programs manifest themselves quite differently than residential recycling programs for single-family properties, and similarly have different issues in terms of efficacy and efficiency, such as lower participation rates relative to single-family properties. Multifamily waste represents a fairly small fraction of the waste stream. Despite the perception that they are not being served, recycling service is offered at approximately 82 percent of multifamily developments nationwide. In two-thirds of these areas, all multifamily units are covered. This resource guide and collection of tips will be useful to those initiating new programs or seeking to improve existing efforts. Suggestions are drawn from a sampling of successful programs and associated materials across the country, including Mecklenburg County, North Carolina; Alameda County, California; Madison, Wisconsin; Palo Alto, California; Phoenix, Arizona; and the state of Georgia.

All documents related to this project are being updated for accessibility and will be restored soon. Contact cepm@louisville.edu to request copies.