Verdis Group reports USD pilot recycling program is on schedule

The University of South Dakota has more challenges with recycling than other universities,  according to Craig Moody, a managing partner at the Verdis Group, a Omaha-based sustainability firm the university hired.

Moody said he knows it can look like the university isn’t moving very fast, however, setting up a recycling program is a complicated process.

“This system is far more complicated than a lot of people can wrap their minds around,” he said.

The Verdis Group offered to implement a recycling pilot program for the university at no extra cost last semester, but it was declined, Moody said.

“Right now they are working on a pretty good sized pilot program. What we proposed was dramatically smaller. It would have been like a week-long program in a smaller building to get some ideas for a bigger pilot,” Moody said. “But the University said, ‘No, let’s focus on a bigger program.’ There were also some important conflicts the University had at the time we offered.”

Moody also said that the program USD is currently working on is at no extra cost. He said one reason it takes so long to get going is because the systems are complex and USD faces more issues than average universities.

“There is no real difference between USD and other universities, they all face a lot of the same issues,” Moody said. “But what is somewhat unique to USD is the single stream recycling. USD doesn’t have that option. Most other universities are in larger cities so they have more options. There are similar issues with facilities management at other institutions. That’s not super unique to USD.”

But despite the issues USD is facing to get a recycling program up and running, Moody said everyone he’s worked with has been dedicated to getting something done.

“From Abbott down to every student I’ve worked with, they are very committed to getting this done right,” he said. “Overall, I am happy with the pace they are moving.”