Mission and Goals

It is the mission of the Office of Waste Management (OWM) to provide for the timely and efficient removal of any and all solid waste generated at the University and to process and dispose of these wastes in a manner which is the least harmful to the natural environment, the University community and the public. The OWM follows the Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) approach which holds that "garbage" is not a homogenous mass to be burned or buried and then forgotten. Instead, "garbage" consists of a heterogeneous spectrum of discarded materials and products each with specific characteristics and properties which make them more or less suitable for reuse, recycling , composting or disposal. ISWM asserts that the environment endures the least harm and receives the most benefit when garbage is managed according to the following waste management hierarchy:

1. Reduce
2. Reuse
3. Recycle or Compost
4. Incinerate with Energy Recovery
5. Landfill

The University is now closing in on the OWM goal of consistently recycling or composting 60% of the campus waste stream.

© 2006 University of Massachusetts Amherst. Site Policies. This site is maintained by the Department of Waste Management. Design by Team Cahill