The fate of plastic waste in non-touristy coastal communities.
Photo - Bill Brothers
At Mesa College
Our goal at Mesa College is to increase our recycling efforts and develop a comprehensive recycling program.
- Why Recycle? Recycling helps reduce the amount of items that normally end up in landfill sites or are burned in incineration plants, which increase the amount of pollution and amount of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, which contributes to global warming. It is our duty to improve the environment in which we live and make our campus a better place and a model to our community. Every item recycled makes a difference.
- State Legislature. In 1999 the California state legislature passed Assembly bill AB75. AB 75 requires all states agencies and large state facilities to meet waste diversion goals of 50% by January 1, 2004. This means that we need to achieve a recycling rate of 50%. Our Campus has not yet reached this goal. We need to work together to help us reach this goal at a minimum. Our ultimate goal is to become a Zero Waste campus.
- What Is Zero Waste? Zero Waste means diversion approaches 100% and "waste", as we term it, is essentially eliminated. A Zero Waste strategy mimics nature’s waste free cycles by focusing on reducing extraction from and eliminating waste to nature. To approach the goal of Zero Waste we need to reduce, recycle, and reuse all the waste we generate on our campus. We will identify opportunities and implement innovative programs to divert waste from our campus. It is a concept that can lead society to innovative breakthroughs that can save the environment, lives and money.
- Recycling Services. Single-stream recycling containers will soon be located all over the campus, including classrooms, offices and beside every trash can. No sorting is necessary with a single-stream collection. As of March 5, 2007, San Diego Community College District has started a three year waste and recycling contact with the hauler USA Waste Management.
What Can You Recycle In Single Stream Containers?
Metal
- All aluminum & steel cans
- Clean aluminum foil
Plastic
- #1, #2 Plastic Bottles & Cups
- Beverage bottles
- Water and milk jugs
Glass
- All colors of bottles and jars
Cardboard
- Corrugated Cardboard
Mixed Paper
- White paper
- Colored Paper
- Telephone books
- Junk mail
- “Post-It” Notes
- Newspaper
- Magazines
- Catalogs
- Junk Mail
- Letter/Legal Envelopes
- Window Envelopes
- File Folders
- Hardbound Books
- Soda Cartons
- Brown Paper Bags
- Chipboard (cracker boxes, etc.)
- Insulating Cup Sleeves
Other Recyclable Materials (these have separate collection sites on campus)
- Hard Bound Books
- Printer and Toner Cartridges (drop off in Stockroom, J201)
- Small Inkjet Cartridges
- Batteries (drop off in Facilities lounge in large rubber bin in corner of room, J109)
- Alkaline Batteries
- Cell Phone Batteries
- 1-Sided Paper Copies (drop off in reprographics K203)
- Reprographics will make recycled paper notepads
- Donate to Tutoring center for scrap paper
- Child Development Center will use for art projects
- Clean Aluminum Foil
Non Recyclables
- Plastic
- Yogurt Cups
- Margarine containers
- Wide mouth plastic containers
- Cottage Cheese Cups
- Microwaveable Trays
- Styrofoam (In all forms)
- Packing materials
- Plastic Grocery Bags
- Plastic wrap
- Cardboard
- Pizza Boxes
- Glass
- Windowpane Glass
- Drinking Glasses
- Incandescent Light Bulbs
- Porcelain
- Ceramic
- Pyrex Glass
- Mirrors
- Safety glass
- Mixed Paper
- High Gloss Paper
- “Astro-Bright” Colored Paper
- Spiral Notebooks
- Paper Towels
- Tissue Paper
- Napkins
- Food Wrappings
- Paper Plates
- Paper Cups
- Frozen Food Boxes
- Styrofoam or Plastic Lined Padded Envelopes
- Gummed Labels
- Carbon Paper
- 3 Ring Binders
- Transparencies
- Wax paper
- Metal
- Scrap metal
Off-site Recycling