Overview

The Facilities Management Recycling Program enhances the UCLA environment by diverting substantial amounts of refuse from landfills and encouraging more responsible use of natural resources. Initiated in 1990, the program currently recycles nearly 9 million pounds generated annually by the UCLA community. We recycle:

The 8.6 million pounds constitute over 23% of UCLA's complex waste stream and include materials generated by the full-service hospital as well as numerous research laboratories, eating establishments and special events.

While Facilities Management's efforts mainly concentrate on recycling paper, cardboard and green (or landscape) waste, we do not ignore other recyclables. We collect non-white paper and cardboard, in blue bins, separate such items from the waste stream and transport them to a recycling center. In January 2000, we launched a concerted beverage container recycling effort with a grant from the California State Department of Conservation to collect aluminum, plastic and glass.

	Mixed Recyclables	3,521,400 lbs		10.17%
	Landscape	2,264,560 lbs		6.54%
	Other*	138,239 lbs		0.39%
	White Paper	505,720 lbs		1.46%
	Cardboard	530,620 lbs		1.53%
	Metals	510,989 lbs		1.47%
	Rock Products	20,000 lbs		0.06%
	Waste to Energy	7,439,660 lbs		21.49%
	Landfill	19,683,940 lbs		56.87%

Whitepaper

Facilities Management focuses on recycling white paper because it is a particularly important recycling commodity. While many grades of paper can only be recycled into ceiling felt or home insulation, white paper can be recycled to produce still more white paper. Recycling white paper helps protect the environment by allowing us to use fewer natural resources. Over 600 white paper recycling bins have been strategically placed in copy rooms and computer labs throughout campus. The effort now recycles over 600,000 pounds of white paper per year.

If your on-campus office does not have white paper bins, call the Recycling Hotline at (310) 825-3971 to obtain a White Paper Recycling Receptacle Request Form. The form requires information on:

Collection of white paper from over 600 bins throughout the campus recycles over 600,000 pounds of white paper anually

Once the receptacle is in place and fills for the first time, call the Hotline (310) 825-3971 for a pick-up. After a few more weeks when you determine how frequently the bin fills, call the Hotline again to establish a regular pick up schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). You can also call at any time for special, one-time pick-ups if the receptacle fills unexpectedly fast.

The white paper program succeeds only when all of us place white paper (and only white paper) in the recycling bins. While newspapers and other paper grades are recyclable, their presence in white paper bins changes the recycling category from white paper to mixed paper,a less valuable recycling category. Thank you for your cooperation in placing only white paper into the appropriate recycling bins.

Mixed Paper, Cardboard, and Other Recyclable Materials

Non-white paper recyclables including newspapers are collected from most UCLA buildings by our custodial staff and placed in blue, three cubic-yard dumpsters located near the facility. While these blue bins accept all recyclables, including aluminum, glass and plastics,they are filled mainly with cardboard and mixed paper.

UCLA recycles over 600,000 pounds of cardboard and 1.3 million pounds of mixed paper annually. In campus buildings with significant quantities of paper waste, Facilities Management custodians perform a "negative sort," putting uncontaminated paper from trash cans into separate bags that are then sent out to be recycled as mixed paper.

Blue Bins outside campus buildings receive all recyclables including cardboard, mixed paper, aluminum, glass and plastic.

In order to increase mixed paper collected and recycled, beginning in March 1999 Facilities Management placed mixed paper recycling bins in all General Assigment Classrooms. The bins accept all paper products--white, colored, cardboard, etc.

We are constantly refining mixed paper collection systems. Along with the conversion of "Newspaper Only" outdoor recycling bins to mixed paper, these projects help UCLA and Facilities Management recycle a much greater proportion of paper waste.

Newspaper Recycling

Collected as part of the Mixed Paper Recycling program, newspapers make up part of the nearly 1.3 million pounds of mixed paper recycled annually. Newspaper recycling bins have been placed throughout campus. They are especially useful for recycling the 20,000 DAILY BRUINs that are circulated each day. Since mid-Fall 1998, you have been able to put all grades of paper into the newspaper receptacles, significantly expanding the Facilities Management Recycling Program.

Recycle your DAILY BRUIN in the mixed paper recycling bins located throughout the campus.

Green Waste

Facilities Management does a large amount of landscaping on campus and, consequently, we recycle over 2 million pounds of green waste per year. Green, three cubic-yard bins are brought to sites where green waste is produced. The green waste collected in these receptacles is transported separately from other solid waste to a recycling facility.

Most green waste never leaves UCLA. Many tree branches are turned into wood chips which are spread throughout campus and used as ground cover or mulch. Large field grass mowers have mechanisms that cut the grass and then recut it into such minute fragments no waste is produced.

Facilities Management collects green waste from landscaping efforts and recycles it separately from other solid waste.

Rock Product, Wood and Metal Recycling

The rock product produced at some of UCLA's many construction sites contributes to UCLA's recycling program. Facilities Management rock product is used as road base throughout Southern California.

Facilities Management collects the wooden pallets and other wood items from loading docks throughout campus. The wood is stored in a large roll-off container picked up regularly for recycling. UCLA recycles over 120,000 pounds of wood annually.

UCLA recycles approximately 430,000 pounds of metal per year. Metal, including chairs, desks, file cabinets and other machinery, can be left at loading docks throughout campus, where it, too, is picked up for recycling.

New Ways to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:

Collecting Bottles and Cans!

A grant to Facilities Management from the California State Department of Conservation has made possible beverage container recycIing at UCLA! In January 2000, we began collecting beverage containers at 12 locations throughout campus. Today, there are over sixty locations.

The grant paid for the recyling bins and the students who handle recycling station maintenance. You may recycle your beverage container by placing it into the appropriate bin in the triad cluster marked either "glass," "plastic" or "aluminum."

Triad "cluster" bins throughout the campus are used to recycle your bottles and cans.

Recycle Your Ink Jet/Laser Jet Cartridges!

Facilities Management is committed to recycling inkjet and laserjet cartridges. To that end, we would appreciate it if said cartridges were sent to our recycling office for proper disposal. Campus Maintenance c/o Recycling Coordinator 151308.

Computer Recycling

Due to regulations upheld by the Department of Toxic Substances Control, computers, monitors, lamps, ballasts and other electronic devices are part of universal waste. It is illegal to throw away any electronic devices in the trash cans. If you wish to have such items picked up, you must submit an FSR to Facilites Management and we will take care of it. The labor charge for this service is approximately $30/hr.

Other Programs

You are also encouraged to practice recycling at home. The City of Los Angeles has various recycling programs dealing with household hazardous waste disposal. For more information, go to http://www.lacity.org/san/recycle.htm.

Old cellular phones can also be recycled by donating them to the Wireless foundation. The Wireless foundation will take them whether they work or not. If they are in working condition, they are programmed to assist victims of domestic violence. If they are not working, the foundation will dispose of them in a safe way. For more information on this worthwhile program, go to http://www.wirelessfoundation.org/calltoprotect/donate.cfm.

Waste to Energy

An additional 32% of UCLA's waste stream is diverted from landfills thanks to waste-to-energy recycling. Almost 12 million pounds per year go to a waste-to-energy plant located in an industrial section of the City of Commerce. The plant converts the waste to electricity. The modern facility has been approved by the Southern California Air Quality Management District and meets the most stringent air quality standards. Utilization of some of UCLA's waste in this efficient way helps conserve natural resources such as oil, coal and natural gas.

	Landfill	19,683,940 lbs		56.87%
	Waste to Energy	7,439,660 lbs		21.49%
	All Recyclables	7,491,616 lbs		21.64%

Who to Call

UCLA Facilities Management has put a great deal of effort into our Recycling Program to preserve our environment and protect our natural resources, but there is always more we can do. If you are interested in finding out more about the Recycling Program at UCLA or would like to help, please contact the Recycling Hotline at (310) 825-3971. or if you wish to get involved in our student recycling program call (310) 825-3033.

Call the Hotline if you would like to order a White Paper Recycling Receptacle. And remember to dispose of your DAILY BRUIN, your taco wrapper, last year's term papers or out-of-date budgets as well as your empty beverage container in the appropriate recycling receptacle.