Check out the video recap HERE! Thank you Katie Soscia for putting this video together, and to all the UB students who helped out sorting & weighing recyclables!

As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. A dumpster dive gives a company a better idea of the contamination rate in their waste, and the information can be used to further educate employees and executives to implement necessary changes to their recycling programs.

Join us as a brave team of UB students from the Sustainable Urban Environments Initiative will dive into Tri-Main Center’s dumpster in search for treasured information to improve their waste streams and processes! The students will be tasked with figuring out how much and what type of waste has been generated, and to separate all items into recyclable and non-recyclable sections.

The goal is:

To get a better overall understanding of a company’s behavior when it comes to waste.

To identify what can be made to improve the operational flow of items at a facility with 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) in the center of our minds.

We will start the morning with a presentation, addressing companies recycling related pains and head aches and the issue of wishful recycling. Tri-Main Center will share some of the hurdles they have encountered along their own journey, such as mixed-value waste, local infrastructure constraints, storage restrictions, transportation concerns and internal culture issues. Andrew Goldstein from Erie County will also offer some practical advice on what can be learned and the next steps.

Program

8.45 – 9.00 am: Doors open, coffee is served (Bring your own cup!)

9.00 – 9.15 am: Welcome, introduction to WNYSBR & Tri-Main Center (& intro to the students who will gear up and head to the dumpster)

9.15 – 10.00 am: Presentations on the how, why and next steps

10.00 – 10.30 am: The whole group goes out to the dumpster watches and/or facilitates the students in categorizing & measuring the content

10.30 am: Wrap-up incl. video recording of the group, the students work & Tri-Main’s final comments

Register here!

Parking and directions

The main entrance to Tri-Main Center is on Halbert Street. There is limited parking available in the Access Lot “A”. When full, please park in the Jewett or Brewster Parking Lots. A security guard will be there to let people in.The program begins at Mid-City Office Furniture in Suite 240.

We encourage everyone to car pool if possible!