Going Green @ Haverford

Did you know?

• It takes 15 million barrels of oil per year to make all of the plastic water bottles used in the United States.*
• 15 million barrels of oil would be enough to run 1.5 million cars on U.S.  roadways for an entire year.**
• Only 20% of those bottles are recycled, the rest end up in landfills.*
• The bottles that drift from landfills and litter streams are washing out to the Pacific Ocean and have formed a huge “raft” that is twice the size of Texas.*
• It takes 1,000 years for a plastic bottle to break down in a landfill.**

That’s not all folks…

• The US consumes 100 billion plastic shopping bags.**
• That translates into 12 million barrels of oil.**
• Worldwide it is estimated that 1 trillion bags are used.**
• Translate that and you end up with 120 million barrels of oil.**
• Oil is used in the manufacturing process in making bottles and bags.

Tips

• Consider using a reusable water bottle.
• Hook up a purifier to a water faucet.
• Purchase cloth or reusable bags.

The Haverford College Bookstore sells reusable bags and water bottles!

*Source: E Magazine May/June 2008
**www.treehugger.com

Fernandus Hall, Assistant Director of Facilities Management, Housekeeping Services, reports:

“We are currently revamping our recycling program.  Allied Waste Management – our waste management/ recycling vendor – has switched to a Single Stream System.  This system allows us to consolidate or various categories of recycling in one container.  As a result of Single Streaming we are going to stream-line our process.

So far this year we have recycled over 1,300.00 yards of recycling, paper, cardboard, cans, bottles and plastics.  We are hoping to expand our recycling effort to include more recycling items.

We are looking forward to working with Students and Staff in improving our recycling program.  Stay tuned for future updates.”

View a PDF of what materials can be recycled on campus.

The recycling dumpster (pictured above) at the facilities complex is emptied every two weeks during the school year.