Western State Colorado University Recycling Program
The Gunnison valley is a uniquely beautiful area surrounded by thousands of acres of National Forest. Western State Colorado University and the City of Gunnison are dedicated to protecting these natural resources. We are a leading part of the community in sustainability through recycled goods, bike friendly campus, LEED certified buildings, solar energy, green cleaning products, and composting food waste. Western has progressed immensely in their sustainability efforts since President Helman signed the American College and University Climate Commitment in 2007. The campus recycling program is an integral part of our commitment to reduce our carbon foootprint by 20% by 2020 and 50% by 2035.
Our goals are to reduce waste and promote a culture change based on the principles of the Three R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). We are currently researching our campus waste stream in order to reduce our contribution to the local landfill. Also, we are promoting opportunities to reduce paper and electricity consumption, as well as reusing items through our "Freecycle " program. In addition, we have increased our recycling efforts over the last year to make recycling more visiible and convenient for students, faculty and staff around campus. In November 2011, we installed our first solar powered trash compactor with an attached recycling station on the south side of Taylor Hall. We have seen steady growth in our total recycling program and expect continued growth in the future.
To request a recycling pickup in your building, please submit a work order request to:
For more information on recycling in Gunnison:
http://www.gunnisoncounty.org/public_works_solid_waste.html
Contact Info
Nathan King
Inventory and Recycling Specialist
943-3091
