In 2021, Salt Lake Community College produced 1,698,648 pounds of trash. Of that, 830,928 pounds of materials were recycled, creating an impressive 49 percent diversion rate. While the diversion rate is undoubtedly a feat, SLCC Recycling coordinator Rhiannon Gardner shares how “contamination” is getting in the way of raising those recycling numbers and how “augmented reality” technology is helping to change that.
Contamination happens when materials in a recycling bin encounter inappropriate items such as food, liquids, wrappers or even tissues. Contamination can cause items to be rejected by the recycler and put in the landfill. Gardner says contamination is usually the result of “wish cycling,” when an individual throws items into recycling bins and “wishes” them away to be recycled. “We get more in return if we have a cleaner product,” says Gardner. “That’s how recycling works — it’s commodity-based. The cleaner the product, the better they can turn it into something else.”
The college accepts a wide variety of products for recycling, including paper, plastic, aluminum cans and even oil. Still, to ensure the Recycling department can recycle the maximum amount of materials, Gardner and her team put on their problem-solving hats and developed a way to provide recycling education without being physically present. Gardner says that because there are proper ways to dispose of materials for recycling, the first step is educating people unfamiliar with the process. After learning about augmented reality, she thought it would be a unique chance to combine education, recycling and technology that most people already know how to use.
“I thought it would be a cool idea to maybe put something [an AR code] on our recycling bins,” says Gardner. “I can bring a more personable experience. Instead of a QR code that brings you to a static link, it’s almost like I’m talking to you and explaining [recycling] right then and there.”
Augmented reality (AR), like the popular social media application Snapchat, uses technology that allows a user to drop a three-dimensional rendering in their surroundings. Gardner partnered with image8creations, the business that developed the AR code. When users open the app, Gardner’s “holo twin” appears and explains what does and does not go into the college’s recycling bins.
Since the initial release of the AR code featuring Gardner, the team developed a green holo twin dubbed the Bruins recycling mascot. Although Gardner thoroughly enjoyed the process of creating a holo twin, she hopes the college embraces the technology and embraces its potential. “That’s been my goal, once we’ve got this out there — to start integrating students into the process of it,” says Gardner. “Another cool thing about working with image8creations is they are willing to teach us how to use the programs ourselves, as a college.”
In celebration of Earth Day, the Recycling team will go to multiple SLCC campuses and show students how to create an AR code. The Recycling team will be at various campuses on the following dates and times:
- April 19, 1-3 p.m.: Jordan Campus
- April 20, 1-3 p.m.: South City Campus
- April 21, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Taylorsville Redwood Campus
Recycling’s AR code and revolving code can be found on most recycling bins on all campuses. To try out the AR code, complete the following:
- Open the phone camera.
- Scan the code.
- Press “Start Here.”
- Accept all permissions.
Contact
To learn more, visit the Recycling webpage, or stay up to date with recycling news by following the Recycling team's Instagram or Facebook page. If you have any questions about recycling, contact Rhiannon Gardner (rhi.gardner@slcc.edu).
Contact Recycling (801-957-4242) for help with your office clean-up, campus events, separating your recyclables, requesting a recycling container or if your department has any recycling questions or concerns.
Contact Fix-It (801-957-3911) for any additional recycling needs.
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