Shannon Caveny-Cox ’98 is the solid waste coordinator in the Office of Sustainability at UNC Charlotte. Learn more about her unique role, which includes scientific-like dumpster dives, and her favorite sustainability tip on this Earth Day.
Describe your job as solid waste coordinator and what you do at UNC Charlotte.
My job is to help make sure that waste materials leave the campus through the best processes and go to their highest and best use. I help these materials get to businesses that recycle, reuse and compost materials and help reduce the amount that we need to send to a landfill. I look for opportunities to reduce the waste generated on campus and try to find additional recycling opportunities. I oversee the waste and recycling hauling contracts for campus and make sure that we meet legal requirements for waste disposal. Part of this job is working to standardize collection containers and processes throughout campus — making it easier for people to know how to dispose of materials through consistent signage.
How long have you been an employee of UNC Charlotte?
I’ve worked almost 18 years for UNC Charlotte. I worked in Atkins Library when I was a student here, and then became the office manager for the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling, the summer after I graduated. I transitioned from the University a couple of times — I moved to Montana for a couple of years in 2000 and then worked in Gaston County as the recycling coordinator in 2004 for four years — but each time I returned to a position in OWRR.
What’s something about your job that most people don’t know?
I get to do waste audits, which are kind of like a scientific dumpster dive. This is how we measure whether people are putting items in the right bin. We get clues about what may be confusing our customers and try to figure out education, signs or equipment changes that can help people to waste less and make fewer mistakes. It’s also how we get the data to make business decisions for new services, such as collecting more food waste to compost.
Your role at the University recently transitioned from the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling to the Sustainability Office in facilities management. What are the benefits of that transition and how will it affect campus partners?
In the OWRR, my focus was on daily operations — how to collect and sort materials correctly before they leave campus. In the Sustainability Office, I’m able to focus more on long-term processes and policies that will make the daily operations more efficient. The Sustainability Office has a campuswide focus, while the OWRR was focused on servicing academic and administrative areas — although we kept strong partnerships with housing, athletics and other groups. Now I’ll be working more directly with all groups to learn about their operations and spread best practices across our campus.
What’s your favorite part about being at UNC Charlotte?
The people! In this role, I get to work with a lot of different departments, and it is always interesting to talk to people about what role their department plays in keeping this campus open and operational.
When you’re not on campus, what are some things you do in your free time?
Reading, walking around the greenway and spending time with my family. I’ve got two very active teenage daughters — one is finishing her freshman year here at UNC Charlotte, and she does a lot of Crossfit competitions. My other daughter is a junior in high school and plays volleyball, so there are always various tournaments and competitions to watch.
Do you have a favorite recycling/sustainability tip or reminder you would like to share?
Absolutely! Get a good reusable water bottle and use it instead of buying bottled water. Almost every building on campus has at least one water bottle filling station, so you can get good water, save your money and produce less waste all at the same time!