Material Management
Villanova has had a well established recycling program since 1990, with our first recycling coordinator hired in 1996. Since the beginning of the program we have recycled over 19 million pounds of material. All of our campus waste and recycling is picked up, sorted, and delivered to local collection facilities by Villanova owned and operated waste and recycling trucks. Because we manage all stages of our waste disposal we are able to help determine where our waste is sent.
Waste
We look for collection facilities that manage our waste in a thoughtful and sustainable manor. One such facility is Covanta, an energy-from-waste facility, who takes our waste (what cannot be recycled or composted) and burns it for electricity. This process is net carbon negative, meaning it produces less carbon equivalent emissions from burning our waste, than sending the same waste to a landfill.
What Can You Recycle?
We are always working to reduce our waste volume by looking for alternative waste streams. Day-to-day, everyone on campus has access to paper, cans, bottles, and plastic containers recycling. For more information about what is recyclable on campus, read the FAQ. Recycling also has programs for the following University owned items: electronics, CFL, cell phones, batteries, and ink jet and toner cartridges. To get more information on how to recycle these items contact recycle@villanova.edu
Furniture Reuse
When possible, our designers choose products that contain recycled, and many times recyclable, materials. New products with recycled content are entering the market every day and our staff works to keep themselves informed of these changes. In addition to choosing new products that contain recycled material, usable unwanted office furniture is saved and stored on campus and is made available to anyone interested in remodeling their office space on a tight budget. If you are interested in previously used furniture, please contact Al Motel.
Student Move Out
For end of the year student move out, we provide donation bins for unwanted non-perishable food and household goods. Items are sorted by members of the Villanova community and given to local charities. In 2013 we donated over 16,000 pounds of goods.
Construction Waste
University construction waste counts for a lot of the waste we generate. Starting in 2013 we now send that waste to Revolution Recovery, a company dedicated to the proper disposal and recycling of construction debris such as wood, metal, plastic, concrete, able to divert 85% of the materials it gets from the landfill.
Composting
Lastly, we do have a composting program to separate out our organic pre-consumer food waste for composting. For more information check out Dining Services' website.
For more information about our recycling program see the recycling website.
Villanova University, as a community of learned and learning scholars, respecting the sacredness of all creation, accepts its responsibility to the integrity of Earth and its biodiversity, to the heritage of future generations, and to the security of nations. By utilizing the Augustinian values of Unitas, Veritas, and Caritas, meaning love thy neighbor, promote community unity, and live life in moderation through our curriculum, work environment, and operations, Villanova’s approach to sustainability exemplifies an emphasis on social justice and community service.
For questions regarding campus sustainability email Sustainability@villanova.edu
