Improving Collaboration with Higher Education Institutions
This white paper identifies strategies that promote greater collaboration among higher education institutions and the Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) industry. It recommends additions to the National Recycling Coalition’s National Sustainable Materials Management Action Plan on behalf of campus organizations nationwide.
Background
Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) represents a new means of elevating sustainability and student leadership at the nation’s 4,000 colleges and universities. Colleges and universities have unique, even decisive, roles and responsibilities towards reducing, reusing, recycling, and rethinking materials. Schools’ valuable waste streams, significant purchasing power, and academic potential, position higher education institutions to advance SMM.
Increasingly, colleges and universities are addressing the climate challenge through better material use- demonstrating leadership in their operations, procurement, curriculum, even career placement. These schools are optimizing materials, influencing products, developing new sources of funding, attracting excellent students and faculty, and increasing the support of alumni, local communities, and corporate sponsors.
Much more needs to be done. Many schools fall below national recycling averages and lack basic policies and programs for sustainable materials management. Academia is just beginning to explore this rapidly growing industry; resulting for instance, in the relative absence of applied research and development centers. Simply put, we are missing benefits that higher ed’s operations, purchasing, education and research are ready to provide.
Process
On May 12 – 13, 2015, the National Recycling Coalition, in partnership with the Syracuse University Center for Sustainable Community Solution and the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center, hosted a one and a half day Sustainable Materials Management Summit focused on the sustainable management of discarded materials in the United States at the University of Maryland, College Park.
National SMM Plan Recommendations
Campus organizations* support, and the platform resulting from the 2015 Sustainable Materials Management Summit will include, these strategies and actions:
- Include campus SMM infrastructure, operations, and outreach in funding priorities.
- Offer ratings, standards and resources that campuses and similar institutional facilities can use to plan, implement, measure, report, compare, and progress with.
- Develop and implement campus procurement policies: restrict materials entering campus, etc.
- Fund and promote student-led projects and student leadership trainings to advance SMM infrastructure and program development.
- Support local and national intern recruitment and referral programs.
- Fund and promote student scholarships.
- Renew the Jobs Through Recycling grant funding program.
- Accredit SMM coursework and advance training/certification programs.
- Fund university research and development programs to investigate problem materials, improve product design and develop recycling sector innovation, among other attainable priorities.
- Increase access! Expand intra-collegiate and external networks for students, faculty, staff, and off-campus affiliates, facilitate campus workshops and trainings at state, regional, and national conferences.
* Campus organizations providing input and support for these strategies and actions include: College and University Recycling Council, NRC’s Campus Council, Post Landfill Action Network.
