Recycling
UMKC’s Volker and Hospital Hill campuses recycle cardboard, paper, aluminum, plastic and scrap metal. Through partnerships with Bridging the Gap, a Kansas City environmental agency, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Ripple Glass, Missouri Organic Recycling and the Mid-America Regional Council, more than 5216.84 tons of materials have been recycled since 2005. Initiatives include:
- Composting Organics both in Campus Facilities and Dining Services
- Composting Brown Paper Towels from Restrooms
- Construction Debris Recycling
- Paper Savings in Parking and Transportation
- Toner cartridge and ink jet cartridge recycling program
- E-Waste recycling program
- Glass recycling with Ripple Glass
- Expanded recycling infrastructure, i.e. bins, signage
Awards
UMKC Recycling and Waste Reduction Program is a successful cutting edge program and have been awarded the following honors:
- National Recycle Mania Competition Number 1 in Grand Champion 2013 and Number 2 in 2014, 2015 and 2016
- Missouri Recycling Association (MORA) Honored Recycling Program 2012 2014 and 2015
- Mid-America Regional Council’s Sustainable Successes Award 2012 and 2014
- Environmental Excellence Award in Recycling and Waste Reduction by Bridging The Gap, Inc. 2005
Waste Reduction Program
- Diverts more than 957 tons of waste from landfills annually
- Provides savings of $118,286 annually in FY2016
- Practices sustainable waste management to demonstrate commitment to community
- Provides a cleaner and safer campus environment
- Reduces waste hauling by 77 percent
- The Final Report Waste Assessment and Recommendations for University of Missouri at Kansas City 2003
Recycling-on-the-Go
- Through a $15,100 district grant in 2010 from Mid-America Regional Council Solid Waste Management, the Recycling On-the-Go program gives a broader visual presence for recycling on campus.
Waste Reduction Program
- Diverts more than 5216.84 tons of waste from landfills since 2005
- Provides savings of $90,000 to $120,000 annually
- Practices sustainable waste management to demonstrate commitment to community
- Provides a cleaner and safer campus environment
- UMKC recycles 77% of all waste and this reduces the amount of trash sent to the landfill.
- Here are the PDF’s of the campus Recycling Signage so you can print your own. You will find a high resolution color .pdf file to make all your copies. Included are:
- Plastics Recycling Signage, Paper Recycling Signage, Composting Signage (For the Student Union and the University Center’s ONLY Compost)
- Paper Towel Composted began in fall 2015 to help towards Zero Waste to Landfill Goals on campus. Here is the link to the Paper Towel Composting Signage
- For an up to date list of all the materials accepted in the recycling program please see the UMKC Recycling Guidelines
RecycleMania National Competition
Each year since 2008 UMKC has participated in the RecycleMania National Competition. Students are encouraged to participate in an outreach campaign to increase recycling and waste reduction on campus.
Recycling rates on campus have risen during the eight week competition from 23% to 87% as a result of the proactive student outreach and education campaign. The UMKC Campus ranked #1 out of 605 universities nationally in the Grand Champion category for 2013 and #2 for 2014-2016.
