Recycling at UC Merced Campus

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Recycling at UC Merced - Campus

• Emily DeCremer
• Student Recycling Coordinator
• Facilities Management

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YES, Global Warming is real!

• And recycling is one of the easiest things you
  can do to help stop it.
• Why?
• Recycling saves energy, water, and other
  critical resources. It also reduces greenhouse
  gas emissions, which are the main cause of global
  warming.
• Recycling diverts tons of material from
  landfills, where it can take hundreds or even
  millions of years to breakdown naturally.

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• How do we recycle at UC Merced?
• Our system is called single-stream recycling,
  meaning everything goes into the same blue
  container. Thats right, everything we recycle
  goes together, no sorting required!
• Recyclables must be CLEAN! That means no food
  matter, residue, or grease stains. If possible,
  rinse out containers.
• Cardboard boxes MUST be broken down and placed
  behind your desk side or copy room bin, where the
  custodians will pick it up along with the
  recycling.

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• What is recyclable at UC Merced?
• Paper, magazines, catalogs, cardboard, chipboard,
  aluminum, glass, plastic see full listing/flyer
  for details
• What is not recyclable at UC Merced?
• Styrofoam (peanuts or otherwise), foil juice or
  potato chip bags (Capri Sun, Doritos, etc.),
  juice or milk cartons, anything with a waxy
  coating, contaminated items (used paper towels,
  tissues, dirty plates, greasy paper), sugarcane
  bowls and plates from Dining Commons, pizza boxes
  (due to grease).

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• Other items we recycle
• Environmental Health Safety coordinates the
  recycling of batteries, electronics, computers,
  cell phones, light bulbs, and more. Visit their
  website at http//ehs.ucmerced.edu/ for more
  information. For a full listing of what they can
  recycle look under the hazardous materials
  category.
• We encourage you and your department to recycle
  ink cartridges, as most companies send a
  postage-paid mailer to send old cartridges back
  for recycling. You can also place your cartridges
  with your outgoing mail where they will be picked
  up and sent to be recycled at a small profit to
  the University.

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Some recycling problems particular to staff and
faculty

• Cardboard not broken down or with trash/other
  non-recyclables.
• Cardboard must be clean, flattened, and trash
  free.
• Styrofoam is not recyclable under any
  circumstance, even if it has a recycling symbol.
  Foam peanuts can be reused or taken to shipping
  companies (ex. UPS) where they will reuse them.
• Large boxes / large amounts of cardboard have to
  be placed in a specific location please ask your
  Building Manager for these locations.
• If the amount of cardboard exceeds a manageable
  amount please request a special pick up from FM
  Help Desk.

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Some recycling problems particular to staff and
faculty

• Batteries and E-waste
• There are many battery recycling containers
  located throughout campus in the two main
  lobbies of the Library, in the entrance to the
  Classroom and Office Building, the Science and
  Engineering Building on the first and second
  floors, the Office of Student Life, the Student
  Housing Office, and the Dining Commons.
• It is ILLEGAL to throw electronics, computers,
  mercury lamps, and fluorescent light bulbs/tubing
  into the trash. Please contact EHS if you have
  any of this kind of waste.

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Some recycling problems particular to staff and
faculty

• Dirty paper plates, silverware, wax-coated cups
  NOT recyclable!
• Clear plastic water cups These never go in the
  trash as long as they are clean. Recycling symbol
  is on the bottom.
• Aluminum foil is recyclable as long as its clean
  and in a ball weighing no more than its can
  counterpart.

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fostering respect, communication, collaboration
among staff and other members

• By June 2008, each campus in the UC system is
  required to divert 50 of its waste away from the
  landfills. As of March 2007 we divert approx.
  51.
• In order to maintain this goal, it is critical
  that every individual on campus is mindful of
  where and what to recycle.
• Everyone needs to be conscious of the waste they
  produce because in the future we will be required
  to divert 100 of our waste from the landfill.
• You are one of very few groups to get this talk!
  Please help other staff members recycle and
  recycle right.

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• Questions?
• Contact the recycling program at
  recycle_at_ucmerced.edu or by phone at 228-4161.
• Emily DeCremer edecremer_at_ucmerced.edu