Sustainable YouNH
Chris Skoglund
Issue date: 4/6/07 Section: Commentary
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I was thrilled by Kristine King and Katie Mack's submissions to the TNH, in which they highlighted how UNH manages "regular trash" and hazardous wastes. Most people don't get terribly excited by recycling, composting, and proper hazardous waste handling, but to me these actions indicate how an individual, institution, community, or society relates to its environment. By managing our collective waste stream, the university is able to control the dispersal of our waste into the environment - ultimately protecting human health by preserving the quality of our water, air and land.
The university's waste management program extends beyond sorting and disposal of different types of waste. Rather than simply ensuring that our waste is properly handled so it can't escape into the environment, the university also works to create less waste by reusing items and reducing the amount of new material it consumes.
Due to either age or a need for different structures, several building on campus are slated for demolition or renovation. Pettee House and two mini-dorms are included on this list. Rather than knock these buildings over as soon as the final occupant is a safe distance away, these buildings will first be stripped of all useful material, including windows, furniture, light fixtures and wiring for reuse in other buildings. This salvage operation has multiple benefits. It saves landfill space by reducing the amount of material that must be hauled away, a process which also reduces the amount energy consumed during waste transport. In addition, the reused material decreases the amount of new material that UNH must purchase - a process called source reduction. This reduces the amount of virgin material that harvested and processed, therefore reducing the amount of energy consumed, waste created during production, and environmental disturbance. Because it requires virtually no energy, REUSE is preferable to RECYCLE which still uses energy - though much less than purchasing brand new materials.
The university's waste management program extends beyond sorting and disposal of different types of waste. Rather than simply ensuring that our waste is properly handled so it can't escape into the environment, the university also works to create less waste by reusing items and reducing the amount of new material it consumes.
Due to either age or a need for different structures, several building on campus are slated for demolition or renovation. Pettee House and two mini-dorms are included on this list. Rather than knock these buildings over as soon as the final occupant is a safe distance away, these buildings will first be stripped of all useful material, including windows, furniture, light fixtures and wiring for reuse in other buildings. This salvage operation has multiple benefits. It saves landfill space by reducing the amount of material that must be hauled away, a process which also reduces the amount energy consumed during waste transport. In addition, the reused material decreases the amount of new material that UNH must purchase - a process called source reduction. This reduces the amount of virgin material that harvested and processed, therefore reducing the amount of energy consumed, waste created during production, and environmental disturbance. Because it requires virtually no energy, REUSE is preferable to RECYCLE which still uses energy - though much less than purchasing brand new materials.
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