Introduction

The University of Pittsburgh has a strong commitment to the environment and sustainability projects on campus. The environmental impacts of our operations are kept in mind when maintaining the fourteen residence halls and five apartment buildings to create a more sustainable campus.

 

 

Recycling

Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into useful materials, which saves energy, decreases the need for land filling/incineration and preserves natural resources such as timber, water and other minerals. Since 2008, the Department of Housing is proud to offer recycling services on every floor of every residence hall for students’ convenience. For information on recycling in your building, please see the instructions below.

How to Recycle in your Building

• Amos Hall
• Bouquet Gardens
• Brackenridge Hall
• Bruce Hall
• Centre Plaza Apartments
• Darragh Street Apartments
• Forbes-Craig
• Forbes Hall
• Fraternity Houses
• Holland Hall
• Litchfield Towers
• Lothrop Hall
• McCormick Hall
• Oakwood Apartments
• Panther Hall
• Pennsylvania Hall
• Ruskin Hall
• Sutherland Hall

Hard-to-Recycle Items List and Locations

While many materials are easy and profitable to recycle, there are still many products such as batteries, printer cartridges, and electronics that are difficult and costly to recycle. The University does provide pick-up locations in various residence halls for these items which diverts these sometimes hazardous waste products away from landfills.

Battery, cell phone and iPod recycling is offered in the Litchfield Towers Lobby (near Panther Central), the Lothrop Hall Lobby, and the Sutherland Hall lobby.

Printer cartridge recycling is available in the Litchfield Towers Lobby, (near Panther Central), Lothrop Hall Lobby, Sutherland Hall Lobby, Pennsylvania and Panther Hall Lobbies.

For more information about hard-to-recycle items, please visit the University of Pittsburgh Environmental Health and Safety Department and the University of Pittsburgh Surplus Property.

RecycleMania

What Is RecycleMania?

RecycleMania is a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities. Over a 10-week period, schools report recycling and trash data which are then ranked according to who collects the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita, or have the highest recycling rate.

• Housing services worked with student group Free the Planet, Residence Life, Facilities Management, and Sodexo to plan and promote the program.
• University of Pittsburgh set an internal goal to recycle 12 lbs/student (combined goal for cans/bottles, paper, and corrugated cardboard) for the 2011 competition.
• Recycling materials are collected and measured each Friday and results are submitted to RecycleMania on a weekly basis.
• 2011 is the first year the University of Pittsburgh will be eligible to compete in the composting division, which will further improve standings in the Waste Minimization division.  

Recycling Awards

2011 Results

• Grand Champion: Pitt ranked 164 out of 288
• Per Capita Classic: Pitt ranked 142 out of 362
• Waste Minimization: Pitt ranked 100 out of 182
• Gorilla Prize: Pitt ranked 26 out of 362
• Targeted Material - Paper: Pitt ranked 115 out of 226
• Targeted Material - Cardboard: Pitt ranked 43 out of 231
  
• Targeted Material - Bottles and Cans: Pitt ranked 139 out of 219
• Targeted Materials - Food Services Organic - Pitt ranked 117 out of 131

2011 Big East Results:

• Grand Champion: Pitt ranked 2 out of 4 participating Big East schools
  
• Per Capita Classic: Pitt ranked 2 out of 5 participating Big East schools
  
• Waste Minimization: Pitt ranked 3 out of 3 participating Big East schools
  
• Gorilla Prize: Pitt ranked 2 out of 5 participating Big East schools
  
• Paper: Pitt ranked 1 out of 5 participating Big East schools
  
• Cardboard: Pitt ranked 1 out of 4 participating Big East schools
• Bottles & Cans: Pitt ranked 1 out of 4 participating Big East schools
• Food Services: Pitt ranked 2 out of 5 participating Big East schools

2010 Results

• "Gorilla Prize" (highest total weight recycled) - Pitt ranked 29th out of 246 schools.
• "Per Capita Classic" (recycled materials per person) – Pitt ranked 140th out of 346 schools.
• “Waste Minimization” – Pitt ranked 107th out of 199 schools.
• "Targeted Materials – Cardboard" – Pitt ranked 42nd out of 231 schools.
• "Targeted Materials – Paper" – Pitt ranked 121st out of 223 schools.
• "Targeted Materials – Bottles & Cans" – Pitt ranked 139th out of 223 schools.
•  “Grand Champion” (combined overall results) – Pitt ranked 144th out of 267 schools.

2010 Big East Results

• "Gorilla Prize" (highest total weight recycled) - Pitt ranked 1st out of the 8 Big East schools.
• "Per Capita Classic" (recycled materials per person)– Pitt ranked 5th out of the 8 Big East schools.
• “Waste Minimization” – Pitt ranked 3rd out of the 8 Big East schools.
• "Targeted Materials – Cardboard" – Pitt ranked 1st out of the 8 Big East schools.
• "Targeted Materials – Paper" – Pitt ranked 2nd out of the 8 Big East schools.
• "Targeted Materials – Bottles & Cans" – Pitt ranked 3rd out of the 8 Big East schools.
•  “Grand Champion” (combined overall results) – Pitt ranked 2nd out of the 8 Big East schools.

Sustainable Design and Construction

Sustainable design is a term used to describe best practices that lessen the environmental impact of a structure. It is most commonly used in reference to the building process and demonstrates an awareness of the environmental implications of such projects. This involves consciously choosing low impact building materials, including those made from recyclables, energy efficient appliances and practices, and design that is conducive to the local environment. Sustainable design standards seek to lessen the energy demands of buildings and also those associated with the building materials themselves. The University of Pittsburgh exhibits some examples of these standards in all buildings on campus. Panther Hall, Pennsylvania Hall, and Bouquet Gardens building J, some of the newer buildings on campus, are among the best examples of sustainable design.

Panther Hall Sustainability Initiatives

• North/south orientation maximizes exposure to winter sun and minimizes solar exposure in summer
• Bicycle storage racks
• High efficiency chiller utilizing non CFC Refrigerant
• Light sensors in all public spaces
• T-5 fluorescent lamping and electronic ballasts
• Solar control low-e glazing at all exterior glazing
• Erosion control practices during construction
• Building materials with recycled content
• Regional materials utilized (concrete, rebar, brick veneer, millwork, cultured marble and exterior glazing)
• Low emitting materials: paints and sealants, carpet backing
• Resident control on preset range for room thermostats
• Operable windows
• Daylighting in a minimum of 75% of all interior occupied spaces

Examples of Sustainable Design Standards

• Energy efficient control schemes
• University standard carpet installations must include a minimum of 25% recycled content.
• Carpet adhesives contain no VOC.
• The majority of paints qualify as Low VOC paints.

Energy and Utilities

• Installed about 1,000 Motion Sensor Lights (MSL) in all trash rooms, most lounges and many hallways in residence halls, ensuring that only rooms in use are lit
• Replaced thousands of T12 fluorescent bulbs with the more efficient T8 bulbs in residence halls
• Sponsored the creation of the University of Pittsburgh’s first urban garden, located on Oakland Avenue, with the help of student group Plant to Plate, the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation and Professor Ward Allebach’s Sustainability Class.
• Clutter for a Cause event held during move-out of Spring 2011 collected almost 400 lbs of food for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and enough appliances, clothes and furniture to fill a Goodwill trailer truck. In doing so, the university not only contributed to these donation programs, but kept these usable materials out of landfills.
• Replaced 2.2 gallon per minute (gpm) aerators with 0.5 gpm aerators in the bathrooms of Towers A, B, and C, reducing the sink flow rate by 77%.
• Partnered with the Student Sustainable Project Committee (SSPC) to install 335 signs, emphasizing the environmental impacts of students’ actions in all residence hall bathrooms, laundry rooms, and trash rooms.
  
• Installed 14 outdoor recycling receptacles in 2011 around all Department of Housing buildings in order to create more convenient recycling options.  
  
• Instituted new recycling programs for hard-to-recycle items such as mattresses and ceiling tiles. During the Summer of 2011 the Department of Housing and Food Services kept 1,800 mattresses and 500 lbs of ceiling tiles out of the landfill.  

Any further questions about sustainability can be directed to pittrecycling@bc.pitt.edu.