UCSD surpassed the campus-wide recycling goal for 2008 ‘shy;’mdash; set by the UC Board of Regents at 50 percent ‘mdash; by diverting 67 percent of trash, construction debris and solid waste from landfills.
‘We’re very proud of breaking through to 67 percent,’ Campus Sustainability Coordinator Maggie Souder said. ‘It shows how serious our students, faculty and staff are about sustainability solutions.’
UCSD came in second behind UC Davis, which reached a 69 percent diversion.
The achievement marks significant progress toward future campus recycling goals of 75 percent by 2012 and 100 percent by 2020, which would require a considerable increase in dedication to recycling and sustainability by the entire campus community.
‘To get to the point where we’re sending zero waste to landfills in 11 years, though, every person on campus will have to help,’ Souder said. ‘We can provide the tools and knowledge, but we’ll need a total recycling mindset throughout the university.’
According to assistant superintendent for Landscape Services and Refuse and Recycling in Facilities Management Alonso Noble, the university was able to recycle a significant portion of the 19,000 tons of solid waste produced this year, putting to practice aggressive recycling efforts in the area of construction and debris.’
‘At three major construction projects ‘mdash; Price Center expansion, Prebys Music Center and North Campus Housing ‘mdash; we achieved about an 80 percent diversion rate through working with our construction partners,’ Noble said. ‘Those are very big numbers.’
Materials ranging from scrap wood to concrete and asphalt are either recycled or reused, and contractors are required to track and record exactly how much is diverted. ‘ The housing, dining and hospitality department has also significantly increased recycling initiatives in recent years.