Get involved!

The Waste Reduction and Reuse Program is comprised of house-level Waste Reduction Managers, a Waste Reduction Coordinator, and Reuse Coordinator.

You can reach the Waste Reduction Coordinator(s) at recycle@bsc.coop or at 549-5969 with any questions, concerns, criticisms, or suggestions! We’re here to help you!

Description of what should happen in each house:

- Every house must have a Waste Reduction Manager who attends bi-monthly WRM Com meetings with the WRM Coordinator and Reuse Coordinator. WRMs are responsible for educating their house members about recycling, composting, and reuse.
- Trash, recycling, reuse, grease, and compost areas must be clean and neat and properly maintained. These areas must be clearly marked with signs.
- In addition to the recyclables taken by the city (i.e. cans/bottles, paper, and cardboard) each house must have a place for members to put batteries, spent light bulbs, clean plastic bags, ink cartridges, packing materials like Styrofoam and packing peanuts, junk mail, clothesline, and grease. Also, if a house does not yet have a City of Berkeley Green Waste Bin (a magical contraption that composts everything from wood to meat to waxed cardboard), the house must set aside a place for waxed cardboard, yard waste, and food-contaminated paper.
- All managers must have open communication and work with recycling managers to educate all co-op members about recycling, composting, and reuse.
- Workshift managers must train co-op members to use sparingly, turn off lights, and compost/recycle whatever they can during their workshifts.
- Maintenance Managers must recycle toxic materials and reuse building materials whenever possible.
- Kitchen managers must train kitchen workers to properly dispose of kitchen grease (into silver buckets under sink) and to use compost bins properly. In addition, Kitchen Managers should be conscious of the food they buy for houses, making an effort to buy in bulk and buy food that comes in recyclable/compostable cartons whenever possible.

BSC Waste Reduction Coordinator

General Job Description:

- Coordinate Recycling activities within the BSC
- Train and inform Workshift, Maintenance and Kitchen Managers about pertinent recycling duties.
- Train, inform, educate, and maintain communication with house Waste Reduction Managers and co-op members about specific recycling duties, and hold 6 educational WRM Com meetings every semester to discuss recycling issues.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Educate about types of recycling, and when recycling is serviced.
2. Disseminate information about composting service, and make sure houses use compost bins.
3. Encourage houses to use Green Waste bins for yard waste, leaves, and branches.
4. Co-coordinate Reuse Program with the Re-Use Coordinator
5. Educate houses about reduction and buying in bulk, and other consumer issues.
6. Be an accessible resource to all of the BSC in order to answer, or find answers to questions about recycling, or recycling related activities.
7. Service cooking grease buckets from all of the houses, bring grease to CK grease storage area, and coordinate pick-up of grease by Darling International Tallow service. Educate houses about proper disposal of grease, and maintain condition of grease buckets
8. Coordinate proper disposal of hazardous and/or toxic materials with Maintenance Managers, and Central Maintenance.
9. Drive truck safely and courteously.
10. Hold weekly office hours in CK, including time for the Grease Run.
11. Coordinate reused paper system in CK-CO offices.
12. Engage in other recycling minded activities when all the above is done.

BSC Reuse Coordinator

The Reuse Program consists of Free Piles in each of the BSC member units. Free piles aren’t really piles, but an organized area in which reusable items such as clothing, school supplies, books, and toys are put. The items are free for other people to take, and are often asource of real quality items. The Reuse Coordinator establishes, maintains, and develops Free Piles, and distributes excess materials to nonprofit organizations in need. The Reuse Coordinator also maintains contact with donation locations, in order to establish a goodrelationship with them, and additionally because they have good suggestions about what to do with materials. Free Piles are also an outlet for ‘special recycling’ of household batteries, plastic film, and other items. The Reuse coordinator makes regular rounds of the coops, straightening Free Piles, and cleaning them out as necessary.

Waste Reduction Managers

General Job Description

A recommended 5 hour per week manager position with specific hours and appointment procedures to be determined by house management. The Waste Reduction Manager will: coordinate and monitor trash, recycling, composting, yard waste, and reuse activities in the house: train and educate house members about duties and opportunities pertaining to the above; and attend monthly Waste Reduction Manager Committee (WRMCom) meetings.

Each BSC member unit must have a Waste Reduction Manager position. The responsibilities of this position are to coordinate recycling, composting, reuse, and reduction on the house level, educate house members about recycling opportunities, maintain and develop recycling facilities, do a semesterly trash audit, and attend monthly WRMCom meetings.

Specific Responsibilities

1. -Monitor trash services provided to the house, in order to ensure efficient use of trash services
2. -Manage recycling and trash collection within the house: including maintenance of recycling programs, and training workshifters to use recycling, compost, and trash services properly.
3. -Educate house members about recycling/reuse/reduction/composting services available to the house, and encourage waste reducing behavior, including presentations at council meetings, posters, creative performance art, etc.
4. -Participate in the coordination and implementation of annual waste sorts managed by the Waste Reduction Coordinator
5. -Work with CK to coordinate extra recycling, reuse, trash, yard waste and composting pickups
6. -Educate and participate in other waste recycling activities as the above tasks are completed

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