The University of Georgia Costa Rica 2014-2015 Sustainability Report UGA Costa Rica 2014 - 2015 Sustainability Report | Page 39

61+20+1321L
2014 – 2015 UGACR
Solid Waste Audit

Organic (fed to pigs)

21.04%

Trash (to landfill)

13.36%

Cardboard (recycled) 1.29%
Paper (recycled)
1.01%
Glass (recycled)
0.71%

Plastic (recycled)
0.33%
Aluminum (recycled) 0.04%

Organic (compost)

62.13%

Uneaten food at the dining hall is reused as
food for the pigs at the stables or compost in
the organic garden.

When reduction and reuse are not enough, UGACR
relies on recycling. Recycling bins are present in
all common areas, in addition to all guest rooms.
Recyclable goods are stored until enough has been
collected to warrant a trip to the Central Valley.
Electronic waste is recycled through a Costa Rican
company, HOPE Proyectos Ambientales, and batteries
from radios and flashlights are returned to Athens,
Georgia for recycling.
The nearest recycling center is in Puntarenas, and
if families in San Luis want to divert their recyclable
goods from the landfill, they must pay for a recycling
service. Consequently, recycling rates in San Luis are
typically low. UGA Costa Rica, in coordination with the
Athens-Clarke County Recycling Division and UGA’s
Office of Sustainability, are working to alleviate this
problem. Campus employees are given bags made
from recycled materials to collect their recyclable
goods from home and bring them back to campus
to be transported with UGA Costa Rica’s existing
recyclables, free of charge.
Every year, UGACR carries out a solid waste audit. For
one week, waste is collected and carefully analyzed
based on the following categories: paper, cardboard,
plastic, glass, aluminum, landfill trash, organic waste
sent to the pigs, and organic waste composted at the
farm. One of the highlights of the 2014 – 2015 solid

waste audit was the low volume of trash sent to the
landfill, representing a mere 13.46% of all solid waste.
That number now stands as a record low among all
solid waste audits performed on campus. Additionally,
the percentage of organic, reusable waste was the
highest it has ever been at 83.17%, meaning the
campus is reusing as many materials as it ever has. All
in all, UGA Costa Rica remains on the proper trajectory
towards minimizing production of landfill waste and
increasing the rate of reusing waste.

2014 – 2015 Sustainability Report

39