A very important part of environmental sustainability is the reduction of waste. With that goal, the University has joined the more than 2000 other members of the EPA’s WasteWise program in an effort to help reduce our waste output.
As a WasteWise Partner the University reports all waste and recycling statistics to the program. These statistics can then be tracked from year to year to see how effective waste reduction initiatives are. From 2008 to 2009, the University was able to boast an increase in its recycling/reuse rate by about 7%. Keep up the good work!
Through WasteWise the University can also compare itself to similar institutions, allowing us to keep pace with others in our field. The program is a potential network of colleges and institutions with whom we can exchange waste reduction goals and statistics with. WasteWise also offers assistance and advice to the University and other members. One area of the program that the University plans to take advantage of is the chance to publicize our efforts towards waste reduction and sustainability in general.
The University of Rochester is proud to be a WasteWise Partner, as it will allow us to further our commitment to sustainability.