The best is 100% post-consumer waste, not just shavings and cuttings from the plant (sometimes called “reclaimed” or “pre-consumer”). As of Jan. 1, 1999, the federal government requires that its departments use at least 30% post-consumer waste content. Don’t accept something that says “recycled” without seeing these percentages.
To summarize waste-related issues, here is a suggested ranking of various practices:
Reducing the amount of waste in the first place—BEST
Recycling and buying recycled products—GOOD
“Recycling” plastic—WELL . . . OK
Throwing paper away—NOT SO GOOD
Throwing plastic and Styrofoam away—AWFUL
Campus Environmental Impact
Your school has a large impact upon the environment. Many students groups have run audits to see how much energy, paper, food, metal, chemicals, and other resources their school uses, and how much waste it generates. As part of the audit, you will find dozens of ways in which your school could reduce its impact. Audits are both a good way of learning about environmental responsibility, as well as a concrete way to do good. You might want to reduce the number of lights (or switch to fluorescents), compost the food waste from your dining halls, eliminate all disposables, eliminate pesticides, use the water sprinklers less and switch to recycled paper. And that is only a start!
SEAC’s book, Campus Ecology, is a good manual for doing an audit.
