By Annaclaire Crumpton
Picture 69 African elephants surrounding Council Tree Library. What an image.
Their weight together is equivalent to the amount of materials Poudre Libraries recycled in 2019 – a whopping 345 tons!
Making up at least 1/69 of those elephants (a rough estimate granted) were 1,600 gallons of plastic film (plastic bags, bubble wrap, and shrink wrap) and 9,800 gallons of shredded paper sent to Timberline Recycling Center.
Further dissecting the statistic, about 15.5 tons (or about three elephants) of books and DVDs were recycled in 2019 to be used by others.
These statistics outline the Library’s robust recycling program. Though it’s been in place for many years, recycling efforts grew in size and scope after former Library Executive Director Holly Carol formed what is known as “The Green Team” in 2010. Consisting of various volunteer Library employees, the Green Team forwards the District’s sustainability efforts and tracks statistics of our recycling practices.
Many of our green accomplishments in recycling were made possible through the ClimateWise program, a former City of Fort Collins effort that ended in 2019. The program lasted for 20 years, and over its lifetime included over 600 businesses, saved over $94 million, and reduced carbon emissions by 1.4 metric tons.
Since the creation of the “Green Team,” Poudre Libraries were awarded many Platinum level ClimateWise awards (from 2013-2019 when the program ended) from the City of Fort Collins. Though the ClimateWise program no longer exists, the Library’s sustainability efforts continue.
Staying Accountable with Statistics
Our recycling statistics not only help us achieve award-winning sustainability practices but help us stay accountable and improve our recycling methods over time.
Beyond the image of elephants uncomfortably huddled around a Colorado Library, the statistics are vital to the level of excellence we’ve been able to achieve in our recycling program.
Here are a few more facts about our recycling:
In 2020, 12,789 pounds of books, media items, CDs, and electronics, were recycled – in a pandemic year! This is equivalent to the weight of 639 road bikes!
In 2021, 18,730 pounds of materials were recycled by the Library in yet another pandemic year. This is equivalent to the weight of 6.5 Honda Civics!
Over the last three years, nearly 300 pounds of laminated paper packaging (used on our book labels and laminate protective coverings ) have been recycled with the company Terracycle who melt the materials into a harder industrial plastic which is used to make items like bracelets, compost bins, and trash cans.
The Queen of Recycling (and Spreadsheets)
Bibliographic Services Clerk, Louise Mosnik tracks our recycling statistics. As part of the Green Team since its inception, Louise is the unofficial Queen of Recycling, tracking each pound of recycled material.
Before being one of our Library staff champions, Louise was a mental health therapist and craft store owner. She joined Poudre Libraries in 1997 and has stayed for the last 24 years.
Beyond managing the recycling tracking and statistics, Louise’s job entails many different tasks. She manages magazines in the collection, works with the City on recycling efforts, and tracks invoices.
A longtime library lover, she shared, “My daughters and I used to plan our summers around the Summer Reading Program. One of my daughters helped to form the library program “International Reading Series” which has developed into “Teen Council.”
Prompted about the recycling program, Louise said, “I grew up in Boulder and have always been interested in recycling and reuse – it’s always been a part of my life. On that note, I’m incredibly proud of the recycling we have been able to do during a pandemic.”
Creative Reuse
As a former craft store owner, Louise has also brought creativity to our recycling. Mosnik champions “Creative Reuse,” giving items destined for the landfill new lives as art pieces created at Library programs.
Previously, Louise facilitated craft programs, “I used to teach classes for the teens on repurposing materials. We did so many over the years.”
Over the phone, Louise highlighted ways in which materials have been creatively reused. Reuse craft programs have included origami hearts, papier mâché gingerbread houses, duct tape baskets and many more. Above are a few examples of teen creative reuse programs.
One of the more popular creative reuses involved more well-loved or damaged hardcover books. Paper jackets of hardcover books pose a recycling challenge and the covers are removed leaving the shells of stories. The paper book jackets were recycled in a create-your-own journal class for teens.
During Picture Book Month, (November) paper jackets were used for popular programs in Fall 2021. Children created their own books with the recycled covers and new paper.
The Mighty Green Team
The Green Team’s accomplishments and contributions to Library District’s recycling are so impactful. Other Green Team members includes: Gayle Brakefield (Homebound Services Assistant), Crystal Bollman (Interlibrary Loan Coordinator), Amy Lyons (Finance Manager), and Meg Schiel (Adult Services Librarian).
Over the years, the Library Green Team has had to find new agencies to take our recycled items. The changes to recycling in the past 5 years have also posed different challenges that require unique solutions. However, the Green Team always commits to staying green and keeping as many items out of the landfill as possible.
Here are a few other Green Team’s accomplishments:
In 2018, a city-led campaign to “Pitch the Disposables” inspired the Green Team to get creative. Louise made each employee at our Administration Center fabric napkins and encouraged the use of water bottles.
Working with the City, the Green Team hangs signage in our locations to inform people about their recycling.
The Library has also collected hundreds of pounds of food for local food drives and food banks.
The Green Team’s track record speaks to their monumental accomplishments with District – we’re so lucky to have them.
At that, we are fortunate to have had the Queen of Recycling (and spreadsheets) with us for 24 years and hopefully many more. In the meantime, we hope to keep stacking up the number of elephants we recycle each year.
