CSU, Chico News

Associated Students Recycling, California State University, Chico, has now surpassed 500,000 pounds of recyclables collected each year, with 511,000 pounds collected between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2001. The campus as a whole has exceeded the state requirement of 25 percent diversion by 2002. The campus stands at 48 percent of waste recycled, which puts it very close to the 50 percent targeted for 2004.

Much of the success of the recycling effort is due to the work of the Campus Conservation Committee, chaired by Don Sleeper, Facilities Management and Services. Vice President of Business and Finance Dennis Graham created the committee three years ago to provide CSU, Chico with a feasible and comprehensive conservation program. It was a response, in part, to legislation requiring educational institutions to join municipalities in diverting waste.

The committee promotes campuswide awareness and participation in conservation through a variety of activities and projects, including recycling (from phone books to hazardous materials); leaf, grass and limb composting; food composting; carpet reuse; garbage compaction; and the purchase of recycled materials.

Associated Students Recycling, coordinated by Barbara Kopicki, led the way for university recycling efforts. In existence for more than five years, the program has steadily increased its services. Bins are distributed in more than 500 locations on campus.

A.S. Recycling has received two grants in the last five years from the Department of Conservation totaling more than $65,000. They’ve also received numerous on-campus grants for educational events, projects and speakers. An upcoming event is a trash display in the Free Speech area on campus on Wednesday, April 17, from 9 a.m. to3 p.m. One day’s worth of BMU garbage will be displayed in order to educate people to the daily volume of trash produced by consumers at the BMU.

A notable accomplishment for the university, resulting from campus conservation efforts, is the recycling of the recently demolished Sutter Hall. The contractor, Delta Oilfield, salvaged all of the metal building components, concrete footings and selected HVAC units.

Another recycling program that reuses miscellaneous items is Diversion Excursion, developed by Luisa Garza in University Housing and Food Service. Students leaving the residence halls at the end of the school year discard a large number of potentially reusable items. Volunteers collect usable items on move-out days and give them to the Jesus Center, ARC and the Esplanade House.

“We are now seeing the fruits of this university-wide collaboration,” said Mark Stemen, Environmental Studies and a member of the conservation committee, “and the milestones we’ve hit are reflective of the long, hard work going on behind the scenes.”

###

This entry was posted on Friday, March 15th, 2002 at 8:49 am and is filed under 2002 Spring.