team green purdue, final white paper

8/14/2019 Team Green Purdue, Final White Paper

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Green Projects at Purdue:Securinga Greener Future

Team Green Campus

Bethany LeheBrett Carter

Athanasios Zaglaras

Engl 421Y- White Paper Project - Fall 2009

F. Tobienne, Instructor

Table of Contents

Green Projects at Purdue - Team Green Purdue 1


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1. TitlePage.12. Table of Contents2

3. Executive Summary3a. Going Green and Preserving Our Future3

b. Green Projects at Purdue, An Overview3

c. Conclusion, Toward a Greener Future ...3-44. Green Initiatives andPurdue...5

a. Recycling a Dirty Past for a Cleaner Futurei. Duel-stream Recycling..6-

7 ii. Food Waste DigesterInitiative.7

iii. Other RecyclingAdvances...7

iv. One Mans Trash is Anothers Treasure, Conclusion..8b. A Greener Coalition, LEED and Purdue

9i. LEED: Grading Purdue..9-

10

ii. PurduesStandings.10

iii. Improving Purdues Grade10-11

iv. A Studious Green Student,Conclusion..11 c. Putting a New Face on Purdue,Green Roofs...12

i. Green Roofs12

ii. Current and Future Projects

13iii. Building a Better Future,

Conclusion.135. Works CitedPage.........................14



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6. Annotated Bibliography...15-16

Executive Summary:

Going Green and Preserving our FutureRecently everyone has been talking about going green. You have heard the

term thrown around by the news media, movie stars, politicians, scientist andpeople on the street. But, what exactly does the term, going green, mean? To put itsimply, going green refers to steps that people have been taking in recent years to

become more responsible regarding the earths natural resources. Greenmovements are vital to preserving and protecting natural resources and ensuring a

better future for generations to come. All over the world individuals, businesses,organizations and whole countries have been taking steps to become greener.Some of these steps include recycling, reducing emissions, creating sustainableenergy and much more. Through implementing green projects, Purdue University,has also taken up the cause of providing a greener future and a better earth.

Overview of Green Initiatives at PurduePurdue has taken a multifaceted approach to becoming a greener campus.

During our research we encountered multiple initiatives toward making Purduescampus more environmentally friendly and sustainable. To get a sense of thetotality of Purdues green initiatives we have selected three areas of interest. Thethree areas of interest are recycling programs, U.S. Green Building Councilsinvolvement and the Green Roofs project. These programs represent a portion ofwhat Purdue is doing to become a more responsible consumer of our Earthsresources. The recycling program at Purdue has moved far beyond simply



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providing recycling receptacles, although that is a key part of the equation. Thedetails of the strides being taken regarding recycling at Purdue is outlined in thisreport. Also included in this report is information regarding U.S. Green BuildingCouncils involvement regarding LEED (Leadership in Energy andEnvironmentalDesign) certification and Purdues progress in becoming a greener campus. Thefinal area that is covered in this report is Purdues strides in making greener

buildings with the installation of green roofs on campus buildings. When possible,we interviewed key participates in these programs and also included informationfrom various secondary sources. The interviews and information gathered can bereviewed in this report.

Conclusion,Toward a Greener FutureAccording to our research with the current interest in climate change, and

the increased dialog regarding the global responsibility to become greener, Purduehas made great strides toward becoming a green campus. In implementing greeninitiatives, Purdue is helping to ensure a better future for its students and thestudents to come. Going green has increased in importance with Purduesadministration and students. But, if the strides that have been made are tocontinue, Purdue needs to maintain and generate more interest in creating agreener future. We hope that this report will generate interest and hopefully

motivate more support for the green initiatives undertaken by Purdue. We alsohope that this report will give cause for even greater change to take place and foreveryone on Purdues campus to do their part in becoming greener minded.



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Green Initiatives and Purdue



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Recycling a Dirty Past for a Cleaner Future:



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Duel -s tream RecyclingPurdue is in the process of transitioning from single stream recycling to a

duel-stream recycling program. This may sound meaningless to the average personunless you know what exactly a duel-stream recycling system is and what are the

benefits of such a system are.Duel-stream recycling is a program that

allows for the collection of all recyclables,except office paper and corrugated cardboard,into a single container. Purdue is implementingthis program by providing receptacles thatallow for the collection of all recyclables, andincludes a separate slot for office paper. Thesereceptacles have been placed in convenientareas, like beside desks, to increase the number

of participants in the program. Unfortunatelythere is a trade-off for the increased recycling,and that is the decreased use of desk-side trash

bins. All non-recyclable trash would have to berelocated by the individual to a centrally located trash receptacle. The idea is toencourage people to use the recycling receptacles, instead of simply throwing allitems away. By making recycling more convenient then trash it allows for agreater chance of Purdue reaching its goal of recycling 65% of its solid wasteitems. The program also makes recycling more convenient by making recyclingeasier. Participates will not have to separate recyclable items into multiple bins,

except for office paper and corrugated cardboard. Office paper is collectedseparately from other recyclables because office paper resells at a substantialpremium, and this helps to offset some of the cost of the recycling program.

The Pilot program for this duel-stream recycling was implemented atFreehafer Hall and the Civil Engineering building. Having seen a substantialincrease in recycling, Purdue added 5 more buildings to the program in Septemberof 2009. Purdue has not yet decided when or if a campus wide program will beimplemented, but with the current success of the pilot program, a date for acampus wide transition may be announced in the near future.

Food Waste Digester InitiativeThe Food Waste Digester Initiative has been implemented by Joel Zarate,

the Refuse and Recycling Coordinator for Purdue. This program represents acoalition between Purdue and West Lafayette Waste Water Facility. The programallows for Purdues food and organic waste to be turned into energy producing



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methane gas for the waste water facility. The organic material is added to thewaste water and this increases the production of methane gas, in turn the methanegas is used to power turbines which produce electricity to be used by the wastewater facility. This system allows for Purdues organic food waste to be turnedinto energy, instead of being added to the city dump. It also allows for cleanenergy output, as opposed to other alternatives which can produce emissions. Notonly does this program benefit Purdue by allowing for the disposal of food waste,

but it also benefits the community, by providing clean, renewable energy.

Other Recycling AdvancesAlong with the duel-stream recycling pilot program and the food waste

digester initiative Purdue continues to use a single stream recycling system for therest of campus. Purdue also engages in construction recycling. This includes therecycling of concrete construction debris. According to statistics provided by

Purdue, nearly 32,000 tons of concrete has been crushed since 1993. This crushedconcrete material is recycled and used in numerous projects across campus.Another area where Purdue uses recycled materials is in the area of compost.Compost has been used in the place of topsoil, which allows for less topsoil to bemoved, and cuts down on the cost of topsoil to Purdue. Purdue also has a

purchasing initiative, which encourages the purchase of recycled materialswhenever possible. Purdue also has a Recycling Steering committee, whichidentifies possible recycling problems and solutions and initiates green projectsthroughout campus.

Recycling Quick Reference

Office Paper Mixed Recyclables Trash

UnboundNon-glossyNeutral Color

Paper clips and staplesare OK.

Newspapers/Ads/InsertsMagazinesBooks/NotebooksPamphlets/BrochuresGlossy/Bright Colored PaperJunk MailCardboard (non-corrugated)Cans

Plastic

Food WasteSnack WrappersLiquidsFacial TissuesRestroom Paper

One Mans Trash is Another Mans Treasure, Conclusion



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Purdue has made great advances in the area of recycling. This is a vital steptoward becoming a green campus and improving our use of the Earths resources.The more resources that we reuse, the less we consume and more natural resourcesare left for future generations. Although great strides have been made in this area,there is still more that can be done. Ideally a duel-stream recycling system would

be used throughout campus, and more initiatives for the use of clean energy wouldbe implemented. That being said, Purdue has done much to ensure that a cleaner,greener campus is evolving every day, and ensuring a better future for everyone.

A Greener Coalition:LEED and Purdue

LEED: Grading PurdueLEED stands for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a

construction rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. TheU.S. Green Building Council uses LEEDguidelines to grade buildings, like those oncampus. Currently Purdue has no LEEDcertified buildings, but they are currentlyworking to change that. Purdues first LEED



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certified building will be the $33 million, 41,000-square-foot Roger B. GatewoodWing addition to the

Mechanical Engineering building on Purdues campus. This building is beingconstructed to meet the environmental standards set forth by LEED. Theenvironmental standards include things such as; roofing supplies with a high SolarReflectance Index, plumbing fixtures that use less treated water, constructionmaterials with recycled content, carpet that is Green Label Plus rated, wood

products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, paint and sealants with lowvolatile-organic-chemical ratings (reducing indoor air pollutants and improving air

quality). LEED certification is essential in improving Purdues grade, which isgiven by the Sustainable Endowments Institute. Some other ways that Purdue ismoving closer to LEED certification throughout campus is through other green

projects. Some of these green projects include the installation of porous asphaltpaving at Hort service drive, the retro-commissioning of three buildings: Pierce,Beering and Stone Halls, the Renewable energy purchase of approximate 5400MWh (2% of total use) of Benton County wind production and many other

projects.

Purdues Standings: Making the Grade

Purdue was given the overall grade of B-minus by the SustainableEndowments Institute. This Grade was released on October 7, 2009. The Gradingis done by assessing 9 different areas, and for each area a myriad of 48 indicators.These areas include;administration, climate change and energy, food andrecycling, green buildings, student involvement, transportation, endowmenttransparency, investment priorities, and shareholder engagement. For eachcategory, there are a certain amount of points needed; these point totals were thenused to determine the grade, with at least 70 percent of credit needed to earn an A,50 percent to earn a B, 30 percent for a C, and 10 percent to earn a D. The ninemain categories, with 48 indicators between them, were weighted equally in

calculating the schools GPA on a 4.0 scale and then converted into the overallletter grade.

Purdues grades in each area are as follows: Administration, C, climatechange and energy, C; food and recycling, B; green building, D; studentinvolvement, B; transportation, B; endowment transparency, A; investment



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priorities, A; and shareholder engagement, D. The rankings compared to otherIndiana schools are as follows:Ball State University C+, Butler University C-,DePauw University C+, Earlham College B+, Indiana University B-, IndianaUniversity-Purdue University Indianapolis C-, University of Notre Dame B. Asyou can see, Purdue is tied with Indiana University and is being outranked by bothEarlham and Notre Dame. Purdues ranking is good, although not great, amongother Indiana schools. This shows us that there is much need and room forimprovement.

Improving Purdues GradePurdues grade did not change from the 2009 report card to the current

report card released in October. While some areas improved, like Studentinvolvement, other areas, like Green buildings actually was lowered a letter gradefrom last years report card. The reason for the improved letter grade in Studentinvolvement has been contributed to student lead initiatives, like putting a greenroof on Schleman Hall, and intimating a recycling program for Ross-Ade Stadiumhome football games. The grade for student involvement went from a C to a B.

On the other hand the grade for Green buildings went from a C to a D. Thisis an area where Purdue is attempting to make improvements. With projects, likethe retro-fitting of Beering and Stone halls Purdue is beginning to improve in theGreen buildings area. Purdue is also going to be retro-fitting the MathematicalScience, Mechanical Engineering and Hansen Life Sciences buildings. Retro-fitting means that each room is surveyed, and improvements are made in areas thatconcern the use of energy and sustainability. It also means that the energy output

for each building is improved so it is working at its peak and optimum capacity.Purdue could make greater strides in this area if it could declare that allbuilding construction would meet LEED certification standards. Purdue has noLEED certified buildings at this point, but will see its first with the constructionof the not-yet-finished Gatewood wing of the Mechanical Engineering Building.Also, Purdue could improve if it would dedicate to retro-fit the older buildingsand be able to declare publically that all buildings would meet LEEDcertification standards. Other areas that made low marks can also be improvedon, such as shareholder engagement, and energy and climate control. Purdueneeds to continue to look toward the future and improve in all categories. With

the creation of a Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship office, whichemploys three full time staffers, Purdue has shown the desire to improve thegrade in the future.

A Studious Green Student: Conclusion



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Purdue has shown the desire and capacity to change and become a moreresponsible consumer of our natural resources. But, there is still much room forimprovement as the LEED certification and the grade given by the SustainableEndowments Institute show. Purdue has made a great effort to improve in theenvironmental area, but we need to continue to look toward the future andcontinue to maintain interest in the green efforts. Although Purdue received a B-minus, from the Green report card, the real grade will be given by futuregenerations.

Putting a New Face on Purdue, Green Roofs

Green RoofsA green roof is exactly as it sounds a roof with plants on it. To be more

precise, as stated in the book Green Roofs Ecological Design and Construction,a green roof is an engineered roofing system that allows vegetation to grow ontop of buildings while protecting the integrity of the underlying structure. This

provides a large variety of benefits, and depending on the type of green roof used,there are very few drawbacks. There are two types of green roof, extensive andintensive. Extensive roofs require much less water, they normally areinaccessible by the public, they do not need added supporting of the roof, andthey are usually populated with field and drought resistant species of plant.

Intensive roofs are rooftop gardens, with much deeper soil and a reinforcing ofthe roof, it can support a variety of plants including whole trees and vegetablegardens. As the name implies, because the plants are not drought resistant, theyrequire constant watering and maintenance. The green roof provides manykinds of benefits to both the roof and environment. To the roof and building, the



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green roof extends the life of the roof itself, first by preventing sunlight frombeing directly on it, which quickly raises the roof to damaging temperatures, andsecond by preventing rainwater from soaking on and drawing off the materials ofthe roof. Furthermore, the green roof provides excellent insulation the building,allowing for easier and cheaper heating and cooling of the building during anytime of the year. The variety of plants grown on the roof also provide normalclimatic benefits that planting anything helps, and can allow for various native

plants to naturally seed and grow in medium and act as a reservoir for variousendangered plant species and occasionally insects and animals. Green roofs alsoadd to the value and visual integrity of the building the plants are being grownupon.

Current and Future ProjectsCurrently The Boiler Green Initiative has built a green roof on one of the

roofs of Schlemen Hall. This green roof project is being funded by a $68,700dollar grant from State Farm Insurance. The 1750 square foot green roof is of theextensive variety. It is done with a mixture of tiles containing growing medium,not dirt, and sedum plants, which are succulent and water resistant, and normalceramic tiles to for a walking path through the green roof. All these tiles are

placed on top of the actual roof. This is being used as an experiment for the

viability of green roofs at Purdue, so there are a variety of sensor an meter placedthroughout the roof measuring rainwater retained from the roof compared todrain-off, and temperature sensor in the plant tiles and the ceramic tiles tomeasure the difference between the heat retention and heat insulation propertiesof the plant tiles compared to the ceramic tiles. The entire metering system is run

by solar panels and does not require outside maintenance to run. If the Schlemenhall green roof is successful, plans will be put in place to extend the green roofsto any roof that is flat enough, less than a thirty degree incline, and that has beenresurfaced within the last five years. The Armory is currently on of the top

buildings to most likely receive a green roof, having all of the necessary

specifications to do so. The Boiler Green Initiative is also working with thePurdue Campus, and West Lafayette to have green roofs in mind when buildingnew structures so that green roofs may more easily be installed on them.

Building a Better Future, Conclusion



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Green roofs have been in place for many years already in countries inEurope varying from simple green coverings, such as those being implemented

by Purdue, up to lush hanging gardens with long and wild vines growing downfrom building covering nearly the entire structure. Germany has been theforerunner of green roofs has with many varieties of both kinds in place. Swedenis a close follower with Switzerland recently building substantial green roofstructures.

Works Cited

"Boiler Bytes: Students initiate Green Roof on Schleman Hall." Purdue University

BoilerBytes. Purdue

University, 3 Aug. 2009. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.

Colony, Hollie. "Green Roof Technology." Boiler Green Initiative. Boiler Green

Initiative. Web. 10 Oct.

2009.

Duel Stream Recycling. (2009) Retrieved on October 1, 2009, from

http://www.purdue.edu/buildings_grounds/recycling/dual_stream_recycling.htm

Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). (2009). GBCI: Green Building

Certification Institute.

Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.gbci.org

Havas, Valerie. (Feb. 1, 2009). Going Green: Saving the Planet, One Building at a

Time.

Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader Publication. Retrieved October 3, 2009,

from

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Current+Health+2%2c+a+Weekly+Reader+p

ublication/2

http://www.purdue.edu/buildings_grounds/recycling/dual_stream_recycling.htmhttp://www.gbci.org/http://www.gbci.org/http://www.purdue.edu/buildings_grounds/recycling/dual_stream_recycling.htm


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009/February/1-p5642

Kats, Gregory H. (2003). Green Building Costs and Financial Benefits.

Massachusetts

Technology Collaborative. Retrieved October 1, 2009, from

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/gbtf/documents/MTCGrnBldgs

-Katz.pdf

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). (2009). USGBC: U.S. Green Building Council.

Retrieved October 1, 2009, from http://www.usgbc.org/

Weddle, Eric. (Sept. 22, 2009). Trash Cans Out, Recycling Bins In. Jconline.com.Retrieved

October 1, 2009, from

http://www.purdue.edu/sustainability/articles/recycling_programJ&C.pdf

Zarate, Joel. (April 23, 2009). Food Waste Digester Initiative. Retrieved October 1,

2009, from


Annotated Bibliography

The objective of this white paper is to show the various methods of how Purdue University is

becoming a more self sustaining campus. We show three aspects of this process including theLEED Certification modifications being performed on various campus buildings, and the Green

Roofs that are being planned, and have already been built. Sources currently range from books,

online videos, articles, and information provided directly from groups working on these projects.

"Boiler Bytes: Students initiate Green Roof on Schleman Hall."Purdue University BoilerBytes.

Purdue University, 3 Aug. 2009. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.

This video shows interviews with many people involved in the Green Roof project. It shows the

actual progress of the roof being installed. It describes the various technologies being used to

build the roof, what exactly a green roof is, and how it is more beneficial than a normal roof.

The people being interviewed are the various heads of the Purdue Green Initiative, and variouspeople who are assisting in the building of the green roof. This is a video from the Boiler Bytes

Youtube video, which is produced by Purdue University. It is quite helpful as it shows steps in

the progress of the green roof, and also gives information directly from those involved in the

building and application of the roof.

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/gbtf/documents/MTCGrnBldgs-Katz.pdfhttp://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/gbtf/documents/MTCGrnBldgs-Katz.pdfhttp://www.usgbc.org/http://www.purdue.edu/sustainability/articles/recycling_programJ&C.pdfhttp://www.purdue.edu/sustainability/articles/recycling_programJ&C.pdfhttp://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/gbtf/documents/MTCGrnBldgs-Katz.pdfhttp://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/gbtf/documents/MTCGrnBldgs-Katz.pdfhttp://www.usgbc.org/http://www.purdue.edu/sustainability/articles/recycling_programJ&C.pdfhttp://www.purdue.edu/sustainability/articles/recycling_programJ&C.pdf


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Colony, Hollie. "Green Roof Technology." Boiler Green Initiative. Boiler Green Initiative. Web.

10 Oct. 2009.

This site provides the raw data acquired from the various gauges and meters that are placed

throughout the green roof structure on Schlemen Hall. The data ranges between June 17th and

October 1st

2009. It shows a table of the exact numbers of each meter, and graphs displayingdata relationship and change over time. This site also contains photos of the green roof with

arrows pointing to the locations of the various meters, control boxes, batteries, and solar panels.

This data will be very useful in showing the exact benefits of the green roof. Furthermore, it is

taken directly from the site of the group that is actually building the roof.

Duel Stream Recycling. (2009) Retrieved on October 1, 2009, from

http://www.purdue.edu/buildings_grounds/recycling/dual_stream_recycling.htm

This website goes in depth about Purdues Green Recycling program. It talks about the

replacement of trash receptacles with recycling bins. It also answers any questions about the new

duel stream recycling pilot program, as well as going into what Purdue plans for the future ofthis program.

Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). (2009). GBCI: Green Building Certification

Institute. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.gbci.org

The creators of the Green Building Certification Institute website thought it smart to provide all

the background information and general knowledge about GBCI in one area. This website

provides detailed information that goes from their creation in January, 2008, until now. It

discusses their LEED certification. In general, this is a good overview of GBCI.

Havas, Valerie. (Feb. 1, 2009). Going Green: Saving the Planet, One Building at a Time.Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader Publication. Retrieved October 3, 2009, from

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Current+Health+2%2c+a+Weekly+Reader+publication/2009/Fe

bruary/1-p5642

This publication discusses going green in residential houses, commercial buildings, and even

in hospitals. The clean air and natural sunlight provided helps create a healthier environment for

children to learn in and actually lowers sick days. Examples are given of solar panels that track

the sun on rooftops and fog collectors that produce fresh water. After reading this article it can

be seen just how much the era of going green is upon us and gaining momentum around the

globe.

Kats, Gregory H. (2003). Green Building Costs and Financial Benefits. Massachusetts

Technology Collaborative. Retrieved October 1, 2009, from

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/gbtf/documents/MTCGrnBldgs-Katz.pdf

http://www.purdue.edu/buildings_grounds/recycling/dual_stream_recycling.htmhttp://www.gbci.org/http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/gbtf/documents/MTCGrnBldgs-Katz.pdfhttp://www.purdue.edu/buildings_grounds/recycling/dual_stream_recycling.htmhttp://www.gbci.org/http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/gbtf/documents/MTCGrnBldgs-Katz.pdf


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Gregory Kats states that buildings like the Ordway Building are the goal of the future,

buildings that produce more energy than they use. This is achieved through the use of onsite

wind turbines, solar panels, and energy efficient measures used throughout the home. Kates also

tells us that 70% of the nations electricity and a large part of the materials, water and waste

used and generated in our economy come from buildings, so naturally this is where an impact

needs to be made first to correct our wasteful nature.

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). (2009). USGBC: U.S. Green Building

Council.Retrieved October 1, 2009, from http://www.usgbc.org/

The USGBC is a nonprofit organization focused on making green buildings available to

everyone within a century, according to their website. Accurate statistics about buildings are

given for everything from electricity consumption to potable water consumption. Explained in

detail as well is the LEED certification system being used around the world now to determine

just how green a building really is. Also covered are pages on education, resources, news and

events, and committees, chapters, and membership requirements into the USGBC.

Weddle, Eric. (Sept. 22, 2009). Trash Cans Out, Recycling Bins In. Jconline.com. Retrieved

October 1, 2009, from http://www.purdue.edu/sustainability/articles/recycling_programJ&C.pdf

This article talks about the duel stream recycling program that is taking place at Purdue. It

describes the recycling efforts, and the new recycling desk-side bins that have replaced

traditional trash bins. Trash is now centrally located so that all people have access to trash and

recycling that has been made easy.

Zarate, Joel. (April 23, 2009). Food Waste Digester Initiative. Retrieved October 1, 2009, from


This power point presentation was put together by Joel Zarate, the coordinator of recycling at

Purdue. It shows how the food waste at Purdue is being recycled into renewable energy for the

Waste Management in Lafayette.

http://www.usgbc.org/http://www.purdue.edu/sustainability/articles/recycling_programJ&C.pdfhttp://www.purdue.edu/sustainability/articles/recycling_programJ&C.pdfhttp://www.usgbc.org/http://www.purdue.edu/sustainability/articles/recycling_programJ&C.pdfhttp://www.purdue.edu/sustainability/articles/recycling_programJ&C.pdf

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