Oregon State University's Materials Management Department, which combines the Campus Recycling and Surplus Property offices, has recently implemented some new programs to reduce waste and increase sustainability.

One of these programs, "All in the Hall," removed trash bins from inside classrooms and replaced them with multi bin units in the hallways. Andrea Norris, the marketing and development coordinator of Materials Management at OSU, reports that prior to the program, 32 to 59 percent of material in trash bins was recyclable. After implementing the new program, the amount of recyclable materials in trash bins decreased by 0.8 to 2 percent.

Norris added that the partnership between the Recycling and Surplus departments is unique to OSU. “The scale of the program, and the fact that we keep all property internal and resell it ourselves, as well as have a storefront, are things that are not commonplace at universities,” Norris said. Recycling and Surplus also sells surplus for other public agencies, surplusing for up to 40 state and local agencies.

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