What is the ROC?
Did you know that CU has an on-campus recycling facility? The听Recycling Operations Center听(ROC) is an intermediate step in the recycling process between campus buildings and the end markets for recycling. The goal of the ROC is to properly sort materials so that they can be reused, reducing the need to听use听virgin resources to make products.听Since these materials are sorted to such a high degree, they can be sold to end markets and generate revenue to help offset the cost of collection and processing. The ROC is located听next to the CU Events Center and across from the Engineering Center.
Like almost everything,听!听 Along with generating revenue from the sale of materials, the business of recycling has a goal to put waste back to use and reduce the need for harvesting virgin materials from the earth.听This is why all academic buildings on campus have dual-stream recycling systems.听Papers and containers are sorted into two separate bins in order to avoid contamination - that way, white听鈥渧irgin鈥 printer paper can't be听contaminated by Diet Coke or coffee. In the ROC, there are two sorting lines that are deemed the 鈥渨et line鈥 and the 鈥渄ry line.鈥澨齌he wet line is where 鈥渃ontainers鈥 trash bags are sent while the dryline is where 鈥減aper鈥 bags are sent.
Working at the ROC for a semester, I realized that most contaminants that I picked out while working on the lines were compostable items. Although misleading, it is important to remember that recyclable does NOT mean compostable.听Compostable items must be sent to an industrial composting facility and cannot be resold to recycling markets. Read more about that in some articles written by our team here:
After contaminants are removed from the line, the paper/containers fall into a bin at the end of the line that is then brought to the tipping floor. The recyclable materials are weighed and recorded before being tipped into large bins that are located beneath the floor. These bins are then sent to the听听where they are bailed and shipped to end markets.
Recycling is a complicated process;听there are millions of different materials and it is impossible to entirely memorize how all should be sorted. Working at the ROC helped me realize all the effort that goes into the recycling process, so that when I am sorting through my own recycling at home, I utilize these techniques. What could these items be recycled into? Is this material able to be sold to an external market? Eco-cycle, a recycling company in Boulder, is an excellent resource for looking up whether or not an item is recyclable. It takes practice, but most importantly, a desire to learn.
Convinced that you want to sort through recycling, listen to loud music听and hang out with passionate and fun environmentalists who also go to CU? Check if positions are open to and get paid for your time.
All pictures were sourced from听Grounds & Recycling Operations Center (GROC) | Environmental Center | University of baby直播app Boulder