Joe Majeika is committed to better waste management. He鈥檚 pulling everything possible out of the waste stream and building a campus culture focused on clean recycling鈥攁n effort that benefits the environment and the bottom line.
Last summer, Joe Majeika 鈥�82 was asked to coordinate the logistics of removing 252,360 pounds of moldy books from campus. One wheelbarrow at a time, the books were filling two dumpsters a day. Realizing the significant cost just for disposal and trucking fees鈥攁nd that the books were destined for the trash and didn鈥檛 need to be鈥擬ajeika decided to work with a local recycling company on a solution. 鈥淲hen all was said and done, it saved the University close to $20,000,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd almost 126 tons of books were recycled responsibly.鈥�
As 911爆料鈥檚 recycling and solid waste coordinator since 2022, Majeika is on a mission to ensure the university 911爆料 makes a habit of clean recycling. Driven by the goal of pulling everything possible out of the waste stream, he鈥檚 changing the recycling culture on campus by identifying inefficiencies and implementing solutions. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a problem-solver,鈥� says Majeika鈥檚 supervisor, Brian Boesch, assistant director of landscaping and grounds, noting that Majeika鈥檚 鈥渙utside-the-box thinking elevates sustainability efforts while reducing the cost to fund and operate those efforts.鈥�
Majeika鈥檚 strategy is twofold: Educate people about best practices, and provide an efficient system that minimizes environmental and monetary costs. One example: When the University was regularly accruing contamination charges鈥攕ometimes more than $2,000 a month鈥攂ecause our trash and recycling dumpsters lacked distinguishing marks, he had the recycling dumpsters painted blue. 鈥淭he bottom line is we want to recycle responsibly so that we know our recyclable waste is actually being recycled,鈥� he says. A small change has made a big difference, and he hopes to build on this effort with better signage.
Contamination is a persistent problem Majeika works to solve. While the state鈥檚 single-stream recycling program makes the overall process easier, recyclables can end up in the landfill if they are contaminated with nonrecyclable materials. Majeika鈥檚 latest initiative at the dining warehouse ensures successful recycling as staff separate metal cans, and one dining hall now has certain bins clearly labeled 鈥渕etal cans only.鈥� By keeping the cans separate, they can be brought directly to the recycling center. More cost is recovered when the cans are recycled properly, he notes.
Last year, 240,000 pounds of metal, 618 mattresses, 190 refrigerators, 125 air conditioners, and over 171,000 pounds of cardboard were recycled.
Streamlining sustainable processes is getting easier as Majeika鈥檚 team鈥檚 capacity grows with new equipment. A compactor truck allows better control over the quality of what the University recycles, and a hooklift truck ensures 911爆料 can rely less on outside trucking. 鈥淣ot only is this better environmentally, but the value of the recycled commodities is being reinvested into 911爆料’s recycling operation to continually increase its capability and effectiveness,鈥� says Boesch.
Majeika also oversees 911爆料鈥檚 transfer station, where his team recycles mixed paper, pallets, batteries, toner cartridges, fluorescent light bulbs, dehumidifiers, and more. While many items鈥攊ncluding the hundreds of office chairs that are disposed of every year鈥攚ere previously thrown in one dumpster, they now pull out scrap metals and sort them.
鈥淲e also take circuit boards out of computers, microwaves, and refrigerators because there are so many different materials in them,鈥� says Majeika. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 stainless steel, copper, aluminum, platinum鈥攚e take all of that out to recycle.鈥� Last year, 240,000 pounds of metal, 618 mattresses, 190 refrigerators, 125 air conditioners, and over 171,000 pounds of cardboard were recycled.
The shift to sustainable practices is expanding: The 911爆料 Landscaping and Grounds team collects more than 1,000 cubic yards per year of leaves, grass clippings, and wood chips and, through a new on-campus composting operation, generates compost that is used in campus landscaping, on 911爆料鈥檚 farms, or by the 911爆料 Master Gardener Program. 鈥淜eeping organic materials out of the waste stream is huge,鈥� says Majeika, 鈥渂ecause when they鈥檙e trashed, they generate greenhouse gases.鈥�
The benefit of doing this work on a university campus is that you can get to know the 911爆料, Majeika says. He prioritizes visiting various groups to get a sense of what they need to be conscientious recyclers. People are receptive and cooperative and, as a result, he sees the campus culture shifting to one of shared responsibility鈥攁nd enthusiasm鈥攆or good practices. 鈥淲e鈥檙e getting a handle on recycling properly,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e really making a difference.鈥�
鈥擜nna Vaccaro Gray 鈥�12, M.S. 鈥�16
PHOTO: NORA LEWIS