Waste Management

Everyone knows the old “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, a phrase which Rider University certainly incorporates in their Sustainability initiatives through various programs, practices and reforms. Environmental stewardship is not the definition of sustainability; in order to be sustainable, one must look at the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. From making recycling easier and fun, to behind the scenes food programs, to big money saving practices, Rider’s waste programs make environmentally sound practices unnoticeably obligatory or obviously entertaining and encouraging.

RecycleMania is an 8 week recycling program that Rider participates in; every week we calculate how much recyclables account for total waste, who recycles most on a per capita basis, and who recycles and wastes the smallest total amount to raise awareness through friendly competition with other colleges and universities. In 2013, Rider finished 34th nationwide in a field of 273 schools in its recycling rate competition, recycling nearly 50% of our waste.  

Waste management and single stream recycling: Waste Management collects Rider’s trash and recyclables in an environmentally friendly and unique way. The recycling is single stream; meaning that we are able to put all of our recyclable materials (glass, metals, cardboard, paper, plastics 1-7 etc.) into one place. They collect it and bring it to a sorting location where a combination of machinery and manual labor work out how the recyclables can be collected and best utilized for resale and future use.

The PepsiCo Dream Machine located in the Student Recreation Center offers rewards through a point system for every bottle recycled. Rider won a Certificate of Excellence for Recycling from Pepsi for the Dream Machine located in the Student recreation Center for being one of the top 10 performing Kiosks in the country! Feel good about recycling and receive a little something for yourself.

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