WASTE MANAGEMENT AT UNH 
UNH Offices Involved
Waste management at UNH is overseen by a number of different UNH offices all working together to create an integrated approach.
- UNH Facilities: Oversees UNH's non-regulated waste and recycling collection through a contract with Waste Management. Also brings leaves from UNH grounds to Kingman farm for UNH's compost program. For more information about recycling everyday items like paper and comingled containers, contact UNH Facilities at (603) 862-2265.
- UNH Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS): Ensures compliance with applicable state and federal health, safety and environmental regulations and campus policies on environmental health and safety. Oversees how UNH handles hazardous, biohazardous, radiological, and universal waste (which includes some batteries, lamps, antifreeze, cathode ray tubes, pesticides and mercury containing devices). Co-chairs UNH's Integrated Waste Management Group.
- UNH Campus Planning: Approved a standard outdoor recycle container. Works with the UNH Space Allocation, Repairs and Renovations Committee (SARRC) and Central Budget to get annual funding for new containers, and plans install locations.
- UNH Housekeeping: Ensures a safe and clean environment in buildings on campus, including putting in place and expanding UNH's green cleaning program.
- UNH Dining: Oversees the "front-end" of UNH's compost program, including technology like pulpers used in dining halls and pickup and transfer to Kingman Farm of food scraps.
- UNH College of Life Sciences & Agriculture: Oversees the "back end" of UNH's compost program, including managing the compost windows and bagging and selling "UDOO" -- the final compost end product.
- UNH University Office of Sustainability: Partners with all of the above offices to co-chair UNH's Integrated Waste Mangement Group and to educate the campus community about how reducing waste, handling wate properly, composting and recycling fit into the bigger picture of sustainability.
Integrated Waste Management Group (IWMG)
UNH's Integrated Waste Management Group (IWMG) is comprised of UNH faculty, staff and students working together to evaluate, integrate and improve UNH's approach to waste management -- including waste minimization and reduction, reuse, composting and recycling.
Main Goals:
- Analyze the solid waste streams at UNH and propose strategies for waste minimization.
- Centralize and strengthen data collection in regard to campus waste stream.
- Organize UNH's participation in Recyclemania as part of the university's commitments under the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).
- Prioritize the waste streams to be reduced.
- Formulate programs for waste minimization.
- Facilitate participation in national tracking and assessment programs, such as STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System).
IWMG members include:
- Brett Pasinella, Project Coordinator, University Office of Sustainability, Co-Chair
- David Gillum, Assistant Director, Office of Environmental Health and Safety, Co-Chair
- Judy Koski, Housekeeping Manager, Academic and Administrative Housekeeping
- Gene Gargano, Building Services Manager, Academic and Administrative Housekeeping
- Jean Mitchell, Manager, Sports Buildings & Building Services
- Steve Pesci, Project Director, Special Projects, Campus Planning
- Linda Leavitt, Grounds Supervisor, Facilities Grounds & Events Support
- John McLean, Manager, UNH Farms and Greenhouse (COLSA)
- Sue Bennett, Director Administration, Facilities Operation and Maintenance
- Guy Eaton, Director, Buildings and Grounds Jennifer Hammond, Senior Information Support Assistant Joyce Massicotte, Special Projects Coordinator, University Office of Sustainability Bob Minicucci, II, PE, N.H. Department of Environmental Services
Others often attend meetings as needed to discuss specific projects and efforts. Attendees have included representatives from Waste Management of New England, UNH Environmental Research Group, UNH Research Computing Center, UNH Student Senate, UNH Residential Life, and UNICCO.
Processes & Data
Note: all data below are estimates only.
Recycling
Recycling is handled under contract to Waste Management, and this contract is overseen by USNH Purchasing and Contract Services and implemented by UNH Facilities. This contract provides for the collection of paperboard, mixed paper, and glass, metal and plastic containers. UNH has both indoor and outdoor recycling containers all over campus. In 2006, UNH recycled more than 130 tons of commingled waste, according to the 2006 Annual Report for the UNH Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS). In January 2007, UNH began a pilot project to install outdoor recycling containers adjacent to trash receptacles for mixed glass, plastic, and aluminum containers. Fourteen containers were installed as Phase 1 with more to be installed as part of the Main Street project in summer 2007.
For more information about recycling at UNH, contact Linda Leavitt of UNH Facilities - Grounds and Events Support at 862-2265.
Composting
The UNH Compost Program is a partnership among UNH Dining, the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, the University Office of Sustainability, and the Durham community. Since the program was began in 1998, over half a million pounds of food waste have been diverted from the waste stream and composted. The finished product is sold by the bag at community outlets and used by the UNH Organic Garden Club. The UNH Compost Program is part of the university's Local Harvest Initiative, which includes projects such as local food purchasing for the dining halls and an annual Local Harvest Feast, and which demonstrates the university's commitment to being a sustainable food community.
For more information about UNH's composting program, click here or read the December 2006 BioCycle Magazine cover story on the UNH Composting Program (PDF).
