Sustainability at Northwest
- After 25 years of operation, approximately $12,500,000 in savings has resulted from the use of alternatives fuel sources as compared to purchasing natural gas and oil. These savings have been reallocated into the University’s instructional programs and provided a portion of the funding needed to bring faculty, administrative, professional and support staff salaries to market-based levels.
- Reducing the University’s dependence on petroleum-based fuels (natural gas and heating oil) has been a goal for over 25 years. Beginning in 1982, the choice of fuels incrementally shifted to alternative materials—wood chips (1982), pelletized paper (1992) and animal waste blended with dry feedstocks (2001)—from sources found in Missouri and adjacent states.
- By using wood chips, paper pellets and pellets from animal waste, Northwest has been meeting 80-85% of its energy needs without reliance on petroleum-based fuels.
- In 2006-07 355.39 tons of clean paper/corrugated paper from the campus and 1,471.41 tons from the community for a total of 1,826.70 tons pelletized; roughly 2.5 tons of plastic were recycled.
- For the past four years starting in 2004-05, Northwest students have competed with students from other colleges and universities across the nation in a program called “Recyclemania,” finishing 4th, 5th, 7th and 2nd respectively in the rate of recycling of waste paper per person.
Source: Northwest Missouri State University
www.nwmissouri.edu/aboutus/points.htm - November, 2008
- “… the University first began collecting wastepaper for conversion into pelletized fuel used to generate energy to heat and cool the campus in 1993.”
- “The University currently collects about a ton of bottles a week, or approximately 12 cubic yards, in addition to converting 10-13 tons of paper and cardboard into fuel pellets.”
- “Northwest produces about 15 tons of non-recycled waste a week, which means current recycling levels prevent almost half of the University’s total trash and refuse output from ending up in a landfill.”
Source: Northwest News: November 19, 2008, Quote from Associate Director of Environmental Services Lezlee Johnson, www.nwmissouri.edu/universityrelations/news/newsreleases/ 081118recyclebins.htm