Column: Recycling for all campuses

02/23/10 - For the 'umpteenth' time, a student called the University of Rhode Island Recycling to find out why "URI doesn't really recycle because the recycling truck mixes everything up and it all goes straight to the landfill." Have you ever looked inside the CleanScape recycling truck? The internal body is separated into two sections. Cans and bottles are emptied into the front part behind the driver's seat. Paper is emptied into the rear part.

The truck leaves the URI Kingston campus on Mondays and goes directly to Providence. On Thursdays, the truck goes to the Narragansett Bay campus to empty their recycling before it heads to Providence.

The truck stops at the Hudson Terminal at Fields Point to be weighed then it goes to CleanScape's facility on Colfax Street. There, the materials from the back part of the truck are dumped onto the sorting floor. High-grade office paper is sorted out for baling and marketing. Other grade materials are sorted and marketed as well.

From Colfax Street the truck then heads to the Rhode Island Materials Recycling Facility at the Central Landfill. There, the cans & bottles are offloaded. The MRF sorts materials from all over the state for baling and marketing.

If you want to see the recycling truck up close, call (401) 874-2840, or email recycle@etal.uri.edu. URI Recycling would love to arrange a tour for you of CleanScape's facility, the Materials Recycling Facility, or both. Thank you for your interest in recycling!