The document discusses plastic consumption and recycling at a university campus. It states that each year the campus community buys around 340,000 plastic water and soft drink bottles as well as 540,000 plastic cups for foods like milk and yogurt. The oil and water used to produce and transport this amount of plastic packaging equals around 100,000 liters of oil, enough to heat 142 homes for a year, and 1,000,000 liters of water, enough for 1,400 people to survive on. The document provides examples of items that can and cannot be recycled in new campus plastic recycling bins.

1. Our plastic consumption on campuswww.rsm.nl/greeningEvery year, students and staff on Woudestein Campus buy ca. 340,000 plastic bottles filled with water or soft drinks. Furthermore, we consume ca. 540,000 plastic cups of milk, buttermilk, chocolate milk cups, yogurt, salad, fruit salad, and juice.

2. The oil consumed for the production and shipping of the plastic packaging we only buy on campus totals around 100,000 litres per year. That is enough oil to heat 142 average family homes for a whole year.

3. The water consumed for the production of the same amount of plastic is nearly 1,000,000 litres. That’s enough drinking water for 1,400 people to survive a whole year.What should go into the new plastic recycling bins?Plastic bags and wrappers, including candy wrappers

4. Plastic blister packaging around fruit and vegetables

5. Plastic bottles and tubes, cups and lids, e.g. for fruit salad

6. Butter and margarine containers (without aluminium lids)

7. Sauce sachets from ketchup, mustard, mayo etc.

8. Plastic packaging around meat and cheese

9. Yogurt, milk and buttermilk cups (without aluminium lids)

10. Plastic detergent bottles and caps

11. Cosmetics plastic bottles (shampoo, shower gel, cream etc.)Please recycle only EMPTY material!www.rsm.nl/greeningWhat must NOTgo into the plastic recycling bins?Any food or liquid remains

12. Paper coffee cups

13. Cans, aluminium foil or foil lids, or any metal

14. Glass bottles and other glass products such as light bulbs (use glass recycling in the city)

15. Composite packaging, such as milk or fruit juice cartons (Tetrapak)

16. Paper and cardboard (recycle in the paper bins in the academic buildings)

17. Batteries (recycle at your supermarket)Plastic Recycling – Did You Know?Recycling one tonne of plastic saves 7.4 cubic metres of landfill space.*

18. The decomposition process of plastic in a landfill takes around 700 years to begin.**

19. If you fill a disposable plastic bottle 1/4 with oil, this is the amount of oil needed for producing and transportation of this bottle.*

20. By recycling only one plastic bottle, you save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for six hours.**

21. Items manufactured from recycled plastic include pipes, motor oil bottles, detergent containers, garment bags, grocery and garbage bags, lids and squeezable bottles, toys, fiberfill, carpeting, clothing, greenhouse panels, non-food containers, and plastic components and shells used in electronics.**

22. Manufacturing 1 tonne of PET produces around 3 tonnes of carbon dioxide.*

23. It takes 3 litres of water to produce one litre of bottled water.*

24. Bottled water is ca. 2,000 times as expensive as tap water.**

25. If you bring a reusable glass bottle or aluminium bottle from home and fill it with tap water (or homemade lemonade/ ice tea), the environmental impact is close to zero – and you save a lot of money, too.***** Source: The Pacific Institute, 2007, www.pacinst.org** Source: www.wisegeek.com*** Source: The Story of Bottled Water, 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0**** Source: GreeningRSM, www.rsm.nl/greening