February 16, 2021
Campus Recyclers See Challenges & Opportunities from COVID-19
A partnership of organizations have published the preliminary results of survey into the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education waste reduction efforts. Recycling and sustainability managers from over 130 schools across the US and Canada have participated in the 15-question survey covering topics such as indoor collection programs, budget impacts and reusable to-go food container programs. Among the results, COVID is causing:
- Many schools to convert deskside waste to self-service collections. Roughly 20% have or are actively considering the shift.
- 30% of schools to temporarily suspend reusable to-go food container programs, even as 8% are working to introduce or expand such programs.
- 29% of schools to cut recycling staff positions.
Click to view highlights of the preliminary results
Click to read blog with key analysis of key takeaways
These preliminary results are a follow up to a separate earlier survey conducted in August about impacts to fall term reopening plans. This second survey is being conducted by a partnership of College & University Recycling Coalition (CURC) and the US Composting Council (USCC), Busch Systems Consulting, Zero Waste Campus Council and NRC Campus Council.
Full Results Available to Survey Participants
Results for the entire survey including details about current waste reduction priorities and impacts to procurement policies, along with respondent’s detailed comments are available exclusively to schools that complete the survey.
Partial List of Participating Schools
(Excludes schools that requested their names be omitted)
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Appalachian State University |
Boone |
NC |
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Arizona State University |
Tempe |
AZ |
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Auburn University |
Auburn |
AL |
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Brandeis University |
Waltham |
MA |
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Camosun College |
Victoria |
BC |
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Carnegie Mellon University |
Pittsburgh |
PA |
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Clark University |
Worcester |
MA |
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Clemson University |
Clemson |
SC |
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Colorado State University |
Fort Collins |
CO |
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Dawson College |
Glendive |
MT |
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Drexel University |
Philadelphia |
PA |
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East Tennessee State University |
Johnson City |
TN |
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Frostburg State University |
Frostburg |
MD |
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Haverford College |
Haverford |
PA |
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Hobart and William Smith Colleges |
Geneva |
NY |
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Indiana University, Bloomington |
Bloomington |
IN |
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Iowa State University |
Ames |
IA |
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Ivy Tech Community College - Evansville Service Area |
Evansville |
IN |
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Johns Hopkins University |
Baltimore |
MD |
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Johnson County Community College |
Overland Park |
KS |
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Kansas State University |
Manhattan |
KS |
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Kent State University |
Kent |
OH |
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Loyola Marymount University |
Los Angeles |
CA |
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Massachusetts Maritime Academy |
Buzzards Bay |
MA |
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Michigan State University |
East Lansing |
MI |
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Montana State University |
Bozeman |
MT |
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Muskegon Community College |
Muskegon |
MI |
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North Carolina State University |
Raleigh |
NC |
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Northland College |
Ashland |
WI |
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Oakton Community College |
Des Plaines |
IL |
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Ohio State |
Columbus |
OH |
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Oregon State University |
Corvallis |
OR |
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Portland Community College |
Portland |
OR |
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Portland State University |
Portland |
OR |
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Princeton University |
Princeton |
NJ |
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Salisbury University |
Salisbury |
MD |
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San Jose State University |
San Jose |
CA |
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Southern Connecticut State University |
New Haven |
CT |
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Spelman College |
Atlanta |
GA |
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Surry Community College |
Dobson |
NC |
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Texas A&M University Corpus Christi |
Corpus Christi |
TX |
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Texas Tech University |
Lubbock |
TX |
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The University of Texas at Austin |
Austin |
TX |
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University of British Columbia |
Vancouver |
BC |
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University of California, Los Angeles |
Los Angeles |
CA |
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University of California, Santa Cruz |
Santa Cruz |
CA |
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University of Georgia |
Athens |
GA |
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University of Illinois at Chicago |
Chicago |
IL |
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University of Kentucky |
Lexington |
KY |
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University of Maryland, Baltimore County |
Baltimore |
MD |
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University of Minnesota Duluth |
Duluth |
MN |
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University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
Las Vegas |
NV |
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University of Ottawa |
Ottawa |
ON |
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University of Richmond |
Richmond |
VA |
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University of Southern Maine |
Portland |
ME |
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University of Southern Mississippi |
Hattiesburg |
MS |
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University of Virginia |
Charlottesville |
VA |
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University of Wisconsin-River Falls |
River Falls |
WI |
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University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point |
Stevens Point |
WI |
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University of Wisconsin-Whitewater |
Whitewater |
WI |
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University of Wyoming |
Laramie |
WY |
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Wells College |
Aurora |
NY |
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West Chester University |
West Chester |
PA |
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Western Colorado University |
Gunnison |
CO |
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Western Michigan University |
Kalamazoo |
MI |
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Western Technical College |
La Crosse |
WI |
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Western Washington University |
Bellingham |
WA |
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Disclaimer: Guest blogs represent the opinion of the writers and may not reflect the policy or position of the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.
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