Have you ever wondered how much trash and recycling are created as 8,300 students settle into their residence halls and apartments? The Integrated Solid Waste team in Facilities Management knows firsthand.

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, the ISW crew was recognized for their exceptional effort in keeping up with the massive amounts of waste generated during move in week 2019. Nominated by their supervisor, Sheela Backen, the group was honored with a pizza party and CSU swag.

“This crew worked very hard to collect everything and keep bins from overflowing during student move in,” Backen said. “They collected about 20 tons of cardboard, 15 tons of single-stream recycling, 90 yards of styrofoam and 30 yards of thin film. They also delivered and picked up 323 bins for events.”

The crew worked extra hours (including the weekend) to keep up with everything going on and didn’t miss a beat during this hectic, busy time.

The recycling program originated 29 years ago by CSU students. In 1995, Backen, two full-time employees, and a handful of students using a single cube truck started recycling cardboard during move in. ISW now has 12 full-time employees and uses several garbage trucks to collect trash and recycling around campus.

Thank you, Integrated Solid Waste team, for a job well done!