Residents recycle by using chutes located on all floors of residence halls.	The paper, glass, cans, and plastic recycling products placed down chutes end up in these containers in the residence halls.

The 13 residence halls initially used crates and swing top containers, but soon changed to 32 gallon containers which were larger.  Three containers were put in the central area of each floor.  These containers were not fire retardant and fire codes required materials be removed daily.  The materials were bagged and taken to a specified room in the lower level of the halls and placed in 90 gallon carts.  Student staff serviced the containers.  Carrying leaky bags down one to four flights of stairs created messes and slip hazards on floors and stairs. 

During the summer of 1994, chutes for recycling were installed in four residence halls (Baldwin, Neale, Hansen and Steiner) for approximately $41,000 each.  The remaining halls were equipped with chutes as follows:  1995 Burroughs and Watson; 1996 Knutzen and Thomson; 1997 Pray / Sims; 1998 Roach and Hyer; and 1999 Smith and South.  Installation of the chutes had a direct impact on the increased volume of material received for recycling.  It is easier for students to recycle than to take refuse to the dumpsters, especially in inclement weather.     

All residence halls are equipped with chutes for recycling.

Each of the four floors of each residence hall is equipped with four chutes labeled for paper, glass, cans and plastic.  Waste is not included.  Residence hall students are required to take their refuse to exterior dumpsters.   Corrugated cardboard and pizza boxes are taken to the laundry room.  Each building has a designated resource recovery room where the materials land in 90 gallon carts.  Student assistants monitor and maintain the resource recovery rooms.  Their duties include exchanging full containers for empty containers and custodial services of the resource recovery room. 

Two major problems developed with chutes.  The space between the chute and the receiver container is about two feet.  Materials coming down the chutes did not always land in the container which caused excess debris on the floor in the resource recovery room.  UW-SP�s upholsterer designed and installed fabric bonnets which directed the materials into the containers. 

Glass breakage was the other major issue.  As glass came down the chute it broke and shattered.  In order to cushion the force at which the containers came down the chute, a resource recovery employee placed a surplus tire in the container.  This buffered the force of the container and decreased the amount of breakage.  The tire needs to be removed when the container is exchanged for an empty container.  Glass collected in the bottom of the tire which made the tire heavier.  To address this issue, 1/3 of the tire was cut off and a rope attached to the tire.  This not only made the tire easier to remove, there was no glass in the tire.   

Tire for buffering glass.

The employees who suggested the bonnet and tire solutions were recipients of UW-SP�s Dollars for Sense Award.    

The chutes are equipped with scrubbers and sprinkler systems.  There are shutoff doors at the bottom of the chutes that provide safety while servicing the containers.  The chutes can also be locked at each floor.