The document proposes a pilot program to create mobile recycling centers for George Mason University to increase recycling participation and education. The initial phase would place two centers in residence halls in Spring 2009. Subsequent phases would expand coverage to more student housing, academic buildings, and common areas through 2011. The centers would be designed by students and constructed to be accessible. They would provide bins for a variety of recyclables and space for educational materials to promote sustainability. The proposal requests funding and involvement from multiple university departments and offices.

1. Project: Mobile Recycling Centers 11/3/2008
Proposed to the Office of Housing and Residence Life, Office of Sustainability,
Department of Waste Management and Recycling, Office of Environmental Health
and Safety, Sustainability Council, Office of Equity and Diversity Services.
Project Lead and Designer: Ashlea Smith
Research Assistant, Office of Sustainability
Co-Chair, Recycling Working Group
Email: asmithk@gmu.edu
Student Artist and Designer: Moi Herrera
Email: mherrer3@gmu.edu
Project Summary:
Increased visibility and scope of recycling at George Mason University will begin at
unmanned, mobile recycling centers designed by students. The centers have a cross-
departmental creation plan that combines the efforts of the Office of Sustainability,
Office of Environmental Health and Safety, Office of Resident Life and Dept. of Art and
Visual Technology. The projected delivery of the pilot program will Spring semester of
2009 in two resident halls and continuing through the Spring semester of 2011 to cover
the Fairfax Campus with at least 35 centers. The centers will me manufactured to comply
with ADA requirements for accessibility.
Project goals:
Our main goal is increased participation of traditional recycling and to broaden the scope
of recycling on campus by incorporating non-traditional recycling into the recycling
centers. This will be achieved through greater convenience and visibility of the centers in
centrally located areas. Our second main goal is education of the Mason community
about new and established recycling practices, sustainability, and environmental health
and safety within the context of the campus community through communication boards
on the recycling centers and the practice of active recycling itself. The recycling center
will be available for outdoor activities on clear days and where additional recycling and
visibility of recycling is necessary.
The centers are meant to be amendable:
The design of the Recycling Center completely depends on the necessity of the area in
which it is placed and the student artist that designs it. While this proposal describes the
details of the pilots, for future placement, the centers should be artistically designed by
students to meet the needs of the area it serves. The centers must ALWAYS comply with
the Americans with Disabilities Act protocols for such structures.
Project scope:
The centers will initially impact the residents as our pilot center will be located within
two dormitories. Phase II starts with the beginning of Fall semester of 2009 with six
centers placed in four more residence halls and two student centers. Phase III will impact

2. six more resident halls, two more student centers, and four academic buildings. Phase IV
will impact four more resident halls, two more student hubs, eight academic buildings.
Phase V will be upkeep, placement in all new buildings or per request by housing,
departments, student centers, building managers, or facilities administration.
Mason Community Involvement:
Various groups will take part in the effort of the creation and upkeep of the centers:
*AVT department: design plan and construction.
*Office of Sustainability- implementation of project
*Office of Equity and Diversity Services- ensuring project meets ADA requirements
*Office of Student Housing and Residence Life- placement and housing of centers
*Office of Environmental Health and Safety- implementation of project.
*and various student groups and academic departments: Bulletins to be posted
Suggested Locations:
For Pilot Phase- Two locations- both in housing
Security cameras on the centers preferred
Non-carpeted areas preferred for CFL safe clean-up.
Suggested locations are the main lobbies of Liberty Square and Northern Neck halls.
A walk-through is requested to measure lobby areas for Fires Safety and ADA required
clearances.
Requested budget:
$300.00 per center- beginning with two centers during the pilot project. Until 2010, the
number of centers will grow exponentially to double each semester until all major areas
on campus are covered. After 2010, the numbers of centers will increase based on new
construction areas and by request. Keep in mind that retail-priced new-construction
recycling centers are priced about $1800 per recycling center and they do not include the
scope of recycling these GMU-made centers include.
Expected social rewards:
Habit of recycling, empowerment of community to do the right thing for the
environment, increased knowledge of sustainable practices, increased knowledge about
environmental safety, increased participation in recycling, expansion of art students’
portfolios in live assignments.
Funds:
Contributions will be sought from all interested departments and offices that need and/or
request a recycling center. The proposed Green Fee would be a useful source of funds if
it is approved (hopefully soon!). Finally, personal donations would be sought to help get
this pilot project underway. As of currently, we are expecting at least $200 from each the
Office of Sustainability, Office of Recycling and Waste Management, and the Office of
Student Housing and Residence Life for the pilots. Any additional departments are
encouraged to donate any amount, big or small. Anyone interested in donating should
contact Ashlea Smith at asmithk@gmu.edu.

3. Manpower: Who will service the centers?
The Office of Recycling and Waste Management has employees that will collect the
newspaper, white and mixed paper, cardboard, and co-mingled. A Green Rep will need to
collect the wrappers, plastic bags, and ink cartridges. A representative from the Office of
Environmental Health and Safety or trained member of the Green Reps would collect the
CFL’s. The students in charge of collecting the cell phones and rechargeable batteries
would take on the responsibility of also collecting from the centers.
Project Details:
For picture- see the attached layouts.
• Large semi-circle-shaped structure on four swivel castors for mobility
• Four main large circular (“bin-less”) slots with separate identifying lids for:
newspaper, mixed paper, white paper, and co-mingled recycling
• Five smaller boxes and buckets for non-traditional recycling: rechargeable
batteries/cell phones, CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights), CD/DVD’s, wrappers,
and ink cartridges.
• Area for cardboard behind structure
• One smaller oval slot with bag attached underneath for plastic grocery bag
collection.
• Four main cork bulletins for communications
• Galvanized Steel body
• Swing-open doors with bins attached for easy removal of recyclables
• Heavy metal castors for mobility
• Secure U-ring to attach a lock for security and safety
• All welding and construction to occur on campus at the AVT department
• Can crusher to reduce co-mingled volume
Possible Revenue Sources
• Wrappers= $0.02 each accepted wrapper
• Revenue from reclaimed materials- depends on market
Recycling Service Providers:
Co-mingled recycling= Single-stream recycling provided through Fairfax County, VA.
Paper recycling- Capitol Fiber, GT Fiber, Davis
Wrappers- Wrapper Bridgade, offered through TerraCycle, http://www.terracycle.net/cbb/cbb.htm
Cell phones/rechargeable batteries offered through Call2Recycle- a non-profit
Plastic Bags- Most Likely- Harris Teeter will be used as collection site.
CFL’s- Veolia and Home Depot for extra deliveries that Veolia cannot handle
(CD’s/DVD’s- will possibly be collected later on but as for now- security is too big of a
problem to handle. The ITU department already has one of these programs in place so
collecting the CD’s and DVD’s at the recycling centers remains an option in the future if
we organize with them.)

4. (Composting- perhaps later or at certain locations near dining halls, like Southside)
Project Materials:
• 1 sheet of galvanized sheet steel, 4’x 8’= $90 each, sourced through AVT (We have a
“request for quote” at a lower price through alternate sourcing- metaldepot.com)
• 1 roll of Chicken wire for bottom of centers= $10
• 5 galvanized steel pencil rods for structure of center= 5.20 each, total= $26-
supplied through the AVT Dept.
• 20 feet of black rubber padding= $0.50 per foot, total= $10
(http://www.skycraftsurplus.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1640 )
• 1 can crusher= $19 ( Roy from Facilities can supply these)
• ¼ inch thick Cork Roll 4’x4’(16 ft²)- self-adhesive = $50 (Roy can supply these)
• 4 heavy duty castors= $8 each, total= $32- possibility of getting recycled ones or
cheaper ones from Roy in facilities. Will have hard, black, treaded rubber wheels
(Roy can supply these)
• 2 Self-locking gate latches, zinc coated= $4.59 each, total= $9.18
http://www.hardwaresource.com/Store_ViewProducts.asp?Cat=757 – possibility of finding previously
used ones off scrap.
• 4 super heavy-duty steel gate hinges, zinc chromate, $2.40 each, $9.60 (Roy can
supply these)
• Extra galvanized steel- through leftover steel at AVT dept
• Wood palettes if desired for decoration and functionality= free from Dept. of WM
and Recycling.
• Boxes- leftovers from AVT’s woodworking classes
• 2 U-ring attachments, $5 each =$10
• *Veolia Bucket for CFL’s- TBD
• Laminated signage (describing what to recycle, sustainability news, and how to
properly care for hazardous waste like the CFL’s)- ~$20
• Thick gauge plastic bags= from Dept. of WM and Recycling
Estimated sub-total total per recycling center: $276
Additional potential $30 requested to cover taxes and shipping charges from various
suppliers.
Estimated total cost per recycling center: $306
See below for 2D graphics of the rough sketch of the recycling center without the vertical
displays or detailed colors. These sketches were made with Google SketchUp, a
downloadable application from www.Google.com
Front-side view:
This shows the top with its six holes for white paper, mixed paper, newspaper, co-
mingled, plastic bags, and wrappers. The boxes shown are for CFL’s rechargeable
batteries, and ink cartridges. The doors on the front are for ease of disposal, bulletins and

5. instructions.
Back and bottom view- shows the castors and the insides of the recycling center. On the
back of the recycling center, a U-ring will also be attached for security.

6. Top view- shows the full range of the holes and what students will see when they
approach the recycling center. Signage will be placed around the holes identifying its
contents and on the front of the boxes. Bulletins will be placed on the cork boards for
upcoming events and instructions. Vertical advertising is not included in this sketch but it
will rise from behind the boxes.

7. Top view- shows the full range of the holes and what students will see when they
approach the recycling center. Signage will be placed around the holes identifying its
contents and on the front of the boxes. Bulletins will be placed on the cork boards for
upcoming events and instructions. Vertical advertising is not included in this sketch but it
will rise from behind the boxes.