Facilities Operations & Maintenance Department

Recycling

Overview
Facilities, Operations, and Maintenance operates a recycling program that is comprehensive in its approach to conserving resources. We not only recycle traditional material such as paper, aluminum, and plastic, we also recycle other items such as books, chairs, desks, bookcases, and tables through our salvage operation. Most importantly we attempt to reduce consumption of products in our Facilities Operations. Our overall goal is to reduce consumption, reuse material, and divert material from the waste stream.

Recycle Bins
On campus we use a variety of recycle bins and are working towards a more standardized look to recycling. The most familiar is the small blue recycle bin that sits next to most desks. We also have large bins that serve as central collection points. They are custom built and are part of an effort to standardize the recycling look across campus. You may have seen them in various buildings. Each bin has a uniquely shaped opening associated with the product it is intended to accept. Look for more of these in the future as we work towards the continual improvement of the recycling program.

Please see your building coordinator or department administrator if you need to be familiarized with the location of central recycling containers.

If an additional material pick up is necessary please send an email to campusrecycling@boisestate.edu with the location of the material to be picked up.

Community Support Community support coordination with the Facilities, Operations, and Maintenance, the City of Boise has added a community cardboard and glass recycling bin to the west side of campus. The bin is located so that the surrounding community may recycle cardboard and glass material.

Bio-Diesel
The campus recycling truck operates on bio-diesel. The recycling truck’s cab is covered with bright graphics developed by ASBSU and the campus print shop that showcases the recycling program and that good stewardship encompasses more than recycling. The bio-diesel is available locally or provided through a partnership between Facilities, the Technology program, and ASBSU.

ASBSU provided Facilities with the recycling truck and equipment to the Diesel Technology program that will process used cooking oil into bio-diesel. The Diesel Technology program will secure cooking oil from the Culinary Arts program, convert it and provide it to Facilities for use in the recycling truck. This is an effort to be good stewards of resources as well as to integrate bio-diesel into the Diesel Technology training program.

Reduce: Use sustainable products
Our operational goals are to provide excellent customer service in a cost effective manner. This goal is in line with reducing consumption of products on campus. We accomplish this goal by integrating a good stewardship philosophy in all operations. A philosophy that exemplifies itself in practices such as using longer lasting high quality tools, reusable cleaning products, electric vehicles for crew transport, carpooling, team cleaning, and other environmentally friendly products. All of these practices to reduce consumption still allow Facilities to provide a high level of customer service.

Reuse: Salvage and Reuse of furniture and equipment: Facilities, Operations, and Maintenance also handle all furniture and equipment salvage for the campus. We inspect each item that comes in and determine if it can be reused by another department. If the item is likely to be reused and is serviceable, we make the item available for distribution to not only Boise State offices, but other public agencies as well. We also provide a similar service for motor vehicles through our Fleet Services shop.

Recycle: Materials
Boise State recycles various materials across campus.
The following materials are picked up and recycled on a regular basis:

White copy paper
Mixed paper
Newspaper
Plastic drink bottles
Printer cartridges
Cardboard
Aluminum cans

Closing the Loop: New Purchases
Facilities Operations, and Maintenance also "closes the loop" in the recycling process by emphasizing the use of products. That includes bio diesel as described above as well as products that are made of recycled materials and contain "post-consumer recycled materials" or PCRM. PCRM means that the product contains materials that have been part of the waste stream.

Facilities Operations and Maintenance has made a committed effort to purchase recycle materials for custodial use. Most purchased products are certified 100% recycled with 40%PCRM by fiber weight.

Beyond custodial items, recycled products are considered in all purchases we make. These items may range from benches or recycle bins made from recycled plastic to reclaimed road mix.