The University of Michigan faces the challenge of managing large volumes of waste generated by the UM community. Small-scale voluntary recycling activities existed in individual departments as early as the 1970s; campus-wide waste reduction and recycling programs were implemented in 1990. Widely supported by its faculty, staff, and students, these programs have been a success by steadily increasing the percentage of waste recycled and diverted from the landfills over the past 16 years. Here are highlights of the University's waste reduction and recycling efforts and its accomplishments.