What kind of paper can be recycled at Michigan Tech?

If you prefer to keep things simple, just focus on the following five items, which will cover most of the recyclable paper:

• printer and copier paper (any color)
• newsprint
• magazines and catalogs
• paperback books (including telephone books)
• hardcover books with covers removed.

For a detailed list of acceptable and unacceptable items, click here. is at. The main items that are NOT RECYCLABLE through this program are cardboard (corrugated or boxboard), paper bags, food and drink containers, and any kind of plastic (transparencies, document binder combs, etc).

Does Michigan Tech save money by recycling?

Yes! Each ton of paper generated on campus that is recycled instead of hauled to the landfill saves more than $55. During the first year of the recycling program, Michigan Tech saved nearly $4,000 in landfill disposal fees, a figure that assumes 90 percent of the paper recycled was generated on campus. Waste disposal costs for the campus are paid by Facilities Management and non-General Fund units (residential services, Memorial Union Building, Student Development Complex, Keweenaw Research Center, etc.). For more information, click here.

Does my department benefit from recycling?

Yes, indirectly. While individual departments don't receive revenue from the paper-recycling program, those departments also don't pay for disposal of their waste. Those costs come out of the General Fund budget for Facilities Management, so reducing their costs benefits everyone else indirectly. The Environmental Sustainability Committee has discussed the idea of rewarding departments for participation in the recycling program—after profits exceed what is needed to sustain the program.

Is someone paid to run the program?

No! The program is run completely by volunteers and by grounds and custodial staff who have incorporated recycling into their existing duties.

Who runs the recycling program?

The paper-recycling program is cooperatively run by the Environmental Sustainability Committee, Students Against Violating the Environment (SAVE), departmental recycling liaisons, and Michigan Tech Facilities Management staff.

How did the campus paper-recycling program get started?

A May 2001 report and proposal from two student groups, Students Against Violating the Environment (SAVE) and Society for Conservation Biology, asked that a recycling program be reinstated on campus. This proposal led to the establishment of the Environmental Sustainability Committee in July 2001. The ESC was charged with establishing a paper-recycling program, which began officially on Earth Day, April 22, 2002. The current program replaced a student-run pilot program in which several computer labs on campus recycled their paper through an arrangement with Copper Country Mental Health. In the early to mid-1990s, the campus had a mixed-paper recycling program until the recycling contractor from L'Anse left the recycling business.

What percentage of the paper generated on campus is recycled?

Paper comprises 37% of the MTU solid waste stream, according to a 1997 waste audit conducted as part of an environmental engineering senior design project. That percentage is somewhat lower than other campuses, for which paper is typically 40% or more of the waste stream. In the paper-recycling program's first year, 72.5 tons of the estimated 480 tons of paper generated on campus were recycled. That's good for our first year, but it means that 85% of the paper wasn't recycled. We can do much better if everyone literally pitches in! If half of the paper generated this year is recycled, MTU could save $13,200 in tipping fees at current rates and earn $11,700, based on last year's average price paid for the paper. That's $25,000 just for choosing to put half of our waste paper in a recycling bin instead of the trash! We're working to increase awareness through publicity and to make recycling more convenient by purchasing more recycling containers.

Is it OK to bring paper from home to be recycled?

Yes, Michigan Tech students, faculty, and staff may save paper at home and drop it off during the First-Monday-of-the-Month recycling collections, as long as they follow the University guidelines. The collections are held the first Monday of each month year-round (except holidays or during break) from 3:30 to 5:30 PM in the DOW Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building 6th floor loading dock, located off Cliff Drive just west of where the building extends over the road. We ask people NOT to put paper from home into the blue recycling bins or carts because that creates more work for facilities staff. Instead, please dispose of your recyclable paper during the First Monday collections. Volunteers will be at the dock to assist you and answer any questions you may have.

Is it OK for other community members to recycle paper at Michigan Tech?

Unfortunately, we have to limit the collections at this time to Michigan Tech people, who may recycle paper from home only during the "First Monday" collections described in answer to the previous question. Payment for the paper we recycle is not enough to support the additional personnel and facilities that would be needed if we opened the program to everyone. In addition, household paper that contains a higher proportion of newspapers and magazines could cause us to lose the higher “mixed office” rate our program has earned. We do have cooperative agreements with the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service to participate in our program in exchange for their assistance to the program. Schools, businesses, or community members interested in recycling may contact Ray Smith or Rick Isaacson at Copper Country Mental Health (482-9400) about joining their program, which collects the same paper types as the Michigan Tech program.

What is a "recycling liaison?"

More than 60 people have volunteered to receive periodic e-mail updates on the campus recycling program; pass along information to faculty, staff, and students in their departments or offices; and refer questions and/or problems to recyclinginfo-l@mtu.edu.  These recycling liaisons are vital to the paper-recycling program's overall success.

How do I find out who is the recycling liaison for my department/office/residence hall?

Click here to locate contact information for your area's recycling liaison. If no one is listed, click here to take a look at the recycling liaison guidelines and consider volunteering!

Where does the paper go after it is collected?

Ultimately, the paper goes to Manistique Papers in Manistique, about 185 miles southeast of Houghton. On campus, custodians empty the blue recycling bins into wheeled blue collection carts or gaylord boxes (heavy-duty, large cardboard shipping boxes) in loading docks. The recycling carts are picked up by grounds workers in pickup trucks and transported to a storage building where they are emptied into a gaylord box. A large fork-lift is used to transfer gaylord boxes to the storage trailer. Once we have a full trailer (40+ gaylord boxes), we arrange transport by a trucking firm. The gaylords are transferred from our trailer to theirs, and they are on their way. See photos of the process at <link to recycling program photos>.

Does Manistique Papers pay Michigan Tech for the paper?

Yes, during the first year of the recycling program, we received $3,930 for the paper we sent to Manistique Papers, an average of $48.78/ton. The price fluctuates with market demand and with the quality of paper we send them. The price paid has ranged from about $34/ton to $86/ton. During the first year, we were paid at the "mixed residential" rate. This rate reflects a significant component of lesser quality papers, such as newspapers and magazines. By May 2003, Manistique Papers determined that the quality of our paper merited the higher "mixed office" rate because of the large amount of highly desirable white office paper in our mix. As long as the quality remains high and contamination low, we will be paid the higher rate. For more information on program revenue, click here.

What happens to the money from the recycled paper?

The payment from Manistique Papers for each truckload of paper recycled is currently reinvested in the recycling program, which has ongoing expenses in spite of having no paid staff. Even though our paper broker, Lakestate Industries of Escanaba, found a source of free gaylord boxes for storage and transport of the paper (from a Wisconsin glass recycler), the freight charge for a truckload of boxes is nearly $600! We plan to buy more blue bins for individual offices and more collection carts for custodians. The ESC reimbursed the Grounds Department for repairing the floor of the storage trailer and for buying a pallet jack for moving the full gaylord boxes. An unrestricted gift from an anonymous donor to the ESC's new Michigan Tech Fund account covered the costs of a reception for departmental recycling liaisons, so no proceeds from the recycling program were used. For more information about program expenses, click here.

Will the money from the recycled paper be used for anything other than the recycling program?

Once the recycling program is better established, we will use the proceeds to fund other campus environmental sustainability efforts, such as installing additional motion sensor lights, reinstating the Gold Bike program, developing student internships, sponsoring educational trips/training for ESC members, and eventually, hiring a part-time environmental coordinator. These were all items in the ESC's successful 2001-02 Vision Initiative proposal.

What does Manistique Papers make from the paper we recycle?

Manistique Papers produces recycled paper for all types of specialty applications, including magazine inserts, ad jackets, retail advertising flyers, direct mail, computer forms, point-of-sale (POS) rolls, adding machine rolls, tablets and pads, envelopes, place mats, tray liners, food service carryout bags and multipurpose papers. For more information, click here.

Is Manistique Papers an environmentally responsible company?

Manistique Papers is the largest recycler of coated catalog and magazine papers in North America, manufacturing 130,000 tons of 100% recycled paper and diverting 2.4 million cubic yards of waste from landfills every year. All products are processed chlorine free, earning Manistique Papers the distinction of being the first mill in North America to receive PCF certification. On March 16, 2001, Manistique Papers earned ISO-14001 certification, one of only 13 paper mills in North America with this distinction. The ISO-14000 series addresses environmental management systems, environmental auditing, environmental labeling, an environmental performance evaluation, and a life-cycle assessment. For more information, see http://www.manistiquepapers.com.

Will the recycling program be expanded to include other materials?

We hope so!  The ESC, with help from Phi Sigma Biological National Honor Society and other student volunteers, also collects packing peanuts, flexible foam, bubble wrap, and air pillows that Information Technology reuses for eBay shipments of surplus equipment. We have also provided The Shipping Shop in downtown Houghton with additional packing materials. Many people have asked about recycling corrugated cardboard, which is a significant component of our waste stream that piles up in loading docks and dumpsters. Currently (summer 2003) we are investigating at least a limited cardboard recycling program. Stay tuned for more details. We are also looking at recycling other materials, especially metal and glass beverage containers, in central locations, such as the Memorial Union Building.

What are the environmental benefits of recycling?

Environmental Benefits of Recycling  

• How many trees are saved per ton of paper recycled?
17
• How many "trees" has MTU saved during the first year of the recycling program?
1,370
• How much energy is saved by recycling?
Each ton of recycled paper produced requires 4,102 kwh less energy than virgin paper. For comparison, average US residential customers use approximately 8,100 kwh to heat and air condition their homes annually.
• What is the net effect of recycling on CO2 emissions?
Overall emissions of air pollution is reduced by 60 pounds per ton of recycled paper produced.
• What are the other environmental benefits of recycling? For every ton of recycled paper produced, 3 cubic yards of solid waste are kept out of landfills or incinerators.

What if I have more questions about recycling on campus?

Just contact recyclinginfo-l@mtu.edu. Messages reach four ESC members and Facilities Management staff who respond to inquiries. If the question is specific to your department, you may want to contact your recycling liaison first.

If you have general questions or comments, please contact Shalini Suryanarayana (shalini@mtu.edu) and please put "ESC question/Comment" in the subject line.

Electronic mail
If you have any questions on the recycling program at MTU: recyclinginfo-l@mtu.edu

General Information: shalini@mtu.edu

Webmaster: edoppwebmaster@mtu.edu