Recycling and Waste
UCLA, along with the other campuses in the UC system, are working towards a target of Zero Waste by 2020. This means zero waste to landfill, with an interim target of 75% diversion from landfill by 2012. This year we met our 2012 target and released our Zero Waste Plan, which will be a living document that will guide us over the next eight years as we take recycling and waste management to the next level. The full zero waste plan can be found here. You can also read more in this UCLA Today Article: UCLA to go Zero Waste by 2020. Following the UCLA Climate Action Plan, this Zero Waste Plan is part of a larger strategic sustainability planning process that addresses sustainability initiatives in operations, curriculum, research, and outreach efforts. There are many challenges ahead as we strive to take our waste management to the nex tlevel and achieve zero waste to landfill and this plan is intended to be a guiding document that we will update and change as we move forward. Through implementation of the initiatives in this plan, UCLA will move towards more sustainable management and stewardship of our resources.
• CRV Beverage Containers
• White Ledger Paper
• Mixed Paper andNewspaper
• Cardboard
• Plastic Film
• Steel and Metal Cans
• Green Waste
• Rock product, Wood and Metal
• Ink and Toner Cartridges
• Food Waste
The University has also pursued a number of waste reduction initiatives, from clothes donation to paperless initiatives.
Although UCLA has had a recycling program since 1990, and a comprehensive program since 2000, in 2008 the University hired a full time recycling coordinator and since then has seen a steady increase in diversion rate and a decrease in landfill waste and overall nonâconstruction related waste.
For more information on UCLA recycling, please contact sustainability@ucla.edu
Recycling FAQ
Questions
What should I do with my…?
What can be recycled in UCLA’s Mixed Recyclable Bins (blue lids outdoors, blue bins indoors)?
What’s different about the Mixed Recyclable (Blue) Bins on campus?
What goes in the White Paper bins?
Where should I recycle white paper?
Where can I recycle electronic waste like batteries, computers, TV’s, etc.?
Where can I recycle CDs and DVDs?
I have an old Ink Jet/ Laser Jet printing cartridge. Where can I recycle these?
Where can I recycle old cell phones?
Are pizza boxes recyclable?
Are plastic bags recyclable?
Is Styrofoam recyclable?
Recycling Tips
What’s new with recycling at UCLA?
Why the change to mixed/ single stream recycling?
Won't there be more contamination if we put everything into the same bin?
Do bottles and cans need to be rinsed before being placed in the bins?
Do I have to rinse out my recyclable containers before placing them in the bin?
Can recyclables be thrown away in plastic bags?
What are the exact stipulations of “no food"?
Which plastics should be placed in the recycling bins?
If the plastic that I am trying to recycle doesn’t have a number on it, can I still recycle it?
Should plastic/glass bottle caps be removed prior to being recycled?
Is it better to put biodegradable plastics with a #7 in the recycle bin or the food waste bin?
Is it even worth it to place really small items like straw wrappers into a recycling bin, or are these items too hard to sort out at the recycling facility?
What goes in the different bins (Blue, White Paper, Mixed Paper, etc.)?
How the process works
What is single-stream? What are the benefits, and is this effective?
Is single stream more energy intensive and more expensive?
Doesn't single stream make recyclables dirtier and thus less valuable?
Where does our recycling go?
Who sorts the recyclables?
Does UCLA's trash get sorted so that recyclables in the trash are retrieved?
Other
Does recycling have a negative environmental impact?
What happened to all the old bins?
Don't we get more money if we sort out recyclables first (i.e. rebates for paper, plastic bottles, or aluminum)?
What does UCLA do with the money they get from recycling rebates?
What about compost?
Requesting Recycling
I need a recycling bin for my office, room, department, etc. Where can I get one?
I live in the apartments off-campus, but my building doesn’t have any recycling bins. What can I do about this?
Contact
How can I get involved/ help spread the word about recycling at UCLA?
I have another question that was not answered here?
Answers
What should I do with my…?
What can be recycled in UCLA’s Mixed Recyclable Bins (blue lids outdoors, blue bins indoors)?
Almost everything can be recycled! In general, as long as the item does not have food on it, it should be recycled. This includes paper, plastic, aluminum, glass, and foam. Please note that electronic waste and batteries must be recycled separately.
What’s different about the Mixed Recyclable (Blue) Bins on campus?
The blue bins were formally for bottles and cans only. They are now for mixed recyclables. You can put paper, cardboard, plastics #1-7, glass, and aluminum into these bins, anything that is recyclable in LA. Basically, electronics are the only recyclables that cannot go into these bins. We are in the process of updating the labels on these bins.
What goes in the White Paper bins?
White paper only (printer, fax, etc.). Colored ink is ok. It is important not to contaminate these bins with mixed paper as it diminishes the value.
Where should I recycle white paper?
In buildings with existing white paper recycling programs, white paper should continue to be placed into white paper bins. Otherwise, white paper can also be placed into any other mixed recycling bins (blue lids outdoors, blue bins indoors).
Where can I recycle electronic waste like batteries, computers, TV’s, etc.?
UCLA has a program called S.A.F.E. (Solvents, Automotive, Flammables, Electronics) that accepts these items. The S.A.F.E. building is located at 550 Charles E. Young Drive but only accepts electronic waste on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. For more information, you can access the UCLA S.A.F.E. Center flyer by clicking here. Many offices on campus also have battery recycling boxes, and there are battery recycling stations in Ackerman.
Where can I recycle CDs and DVDs?
UCLA Software Central is coordinating a campus wide initiative to recycle old CD, CD-ROM and DVD disks. Visit the Software website (www.softwarecentral.ucla.edu) for more information on this program and disk drop off locations.
I have an old Ink Jet/ Laser Jet printing cartridge. Where can I recycle these?
You can send your old Ink Jet/ Laser Jet printing cartridges to Facilities Management recycling office at: Campus Maintenance c/o Recycling Coordinator 151308.
Where can I recycle old cell phones?
You have a couple of options. Firstly, you can donate your cell phone to the Wireless Foundation, which will be programmed to assist victims of domestic violence if the phone is in working condition or disposed of in a safe way if the phone is not in working condition. Secondly, you can drop off the phone at the UCLA S.A.F.E. center located at 550 Charles E. Young Drive, Saturdays from 8:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. For more information, you can access the UCLA S.A.F.E. Center flyer by clicking here.
Are pizza boxes recyclable?
Yes! Empty pizza boxes may be recycled even if they have grease on them.
Are plastic bags recyclable?
Yes! If you are recycling many plastic bags, do not worry about putting all of the bags into one bag to make it neater. The bags will be taken out at the recycling facility to ensure that they are empty anyway.
Is Styrofoam recyclable?
Yes. Since Styrofoam (of polystyrene) is a plastic, it is recyclable and can be placed in UCLA's mixed recyclable bins.
Recycling Tips
What’s new with recycling at UCLA?
We are working to pair one recycling bin with every trash bin (both indoors and outdoors) to make recycling more convenient. UCLA has adopted single stream recycling. Single-stream is a fancy term for co-mingled or mixed recycling. Under this system, all recyclables can be placed into the same bin. They are then sorted on the back end by a waste management or recycling company. This “single-stream” is simpler and more convenient, as either something goes in the blue recycling bin or it goes in the black/ brown trash bin. It is highly effective and is used by many communities, schools, and businesses around the world. Switching to single-stream will help UCLA reach its waste diversion (not going to a landfill) goals of 75% by 2012 and 100% by 2020. Most of the old bins have been repurposed as mixed recycling bins and paired with trash bins as part of a new single stream recycling program.
Why the change to mixed/ single stream recycling?
Based on a survey of student and faculty feedback about recycling at UCLA, we determined that UCLA wanted a more convenient recycling program with more recycling bins. To achieve this, we switched to single stream recycling. It is highly effective and is used by many communities, schools, and businesses around the world. Switching to single stream will help UCLA reach its waste diversion (not going to a landfill) goals of 75% by 2012 and 100% by 2020.
Won't there be more contamination if we put everything into the same bin?
No. Food is what causes “contamination” of recyclables and food should not be placed into the new mixed recycling bins. Switching to mixed recycling will simplify things, which will in turn lead to higher diversion rates (less trash going to landfills).
Do bottles and cans need to be rinsed before being placed in the bins?
No, but please empty them first. While it is preferable that containers be placed into the bins be empty, they will be recycled regardless. All trapped liquids get squeezed out in the recycling process.
Do I have to rinse out my recyclable containers before placing them in the bin?
No. It is not required to do this, though it is preferred if there is a lot of food. Let us rephrase: Please, no food in the recycling bins. But almost everything else goes.
Can recyclables be thrown away in plastic bags?
Yes, however since bags will need to be opened to begin the sorting process, it is preferable that items are not placed in bags.
What are the exact stipulations of “no food?”
Do not put anything with scraps of food still visible on it into the recycling bins. This may contaminate the rest of the recycling load.
Which plastics should be placed in the recycling bins?
Plastics are numbered 1-7, and 7 includes “all other plastics.” In LA County, plastics 1-7 are recyclable (so all plastics). If it turns out that the plastic is not recyclable, it will simply be sorted out at the recycling facility.
If the plastic that I am trying to recycle doesn’t have a number on it, can I still recycle it?
Yes. While plastics usually have a recycling number on them, if you only have a few of these items, it is safe to dispense them in a recycling bin. If it turns out that the plastic is not recyclable, it will simply be sorted out at the recycling facility.
Should plastic/glass bottle caps be removed prior to being recycled?
Not necessarily. The bottles are recycled in one way or another. However, it is preferable to place both cap and bottle in bin separately.
Is it better to put biodegradable plastics with a #7 in the recycle bin or the food waste bin?
It can be put into both, but choose the food waste bin if available. NOTE: not all #7 plastic is compostable. Make sure product says “compostable” before disposing in food waste bin.
Is it even worth it to place really small items like straw wrappers into a recycling bin, or are these items too hard to sort out at the recycling facility?
Yes, it is worthwhile to place small items in the bins. While some of the smaller items get lost in the sorting process, much of it makes it through.
What goes in the different bins (Blue, White Paper, Mixed Paper, etc.)?
Put everything that doesn’t have food on it, including paper, plastics, glass, aluminum, and foam/ Styrofoam into the blue recycling bins. Anything with food on it goes into the black or brown trash receptacles. In buildings that have white paper bins, only white paper should be placed into these bins.
How the process works
What is single-stream? What are the benefits, and is this effective?
Single-stream is a fancy term for co-mingled or mixed recycling. Under this system, all recyclables can be placed into the same bin. They are then sorted on the back end by a waste management or recycling company. This “single-stream” is simpler and more convenient, as either something goes in the blue recycling bin or it goes in the black/ brown trash bin. It is highly effective and is used by many communities, schools, and businesses around the world. Switching to single-stream will help UCLA reach its waste diversion (not going to a landfill) goals of 75% by 2012 and 100% by 2020.
Is single stream more energy intensive and more expensive?
Slightly, but the increase in recycling makes up for this. Landfill space is limited and soon one of LA’s biggest landfills, the Puente Hills Landfill, will be closing. This means trash will have to be trucked out of state.
Doesn't single stream make recyclables dirtier and thus less valuable?
No. It actually results in a higher diversion rate from landfills.
Where does our recycling go?
Recyclables are collected on campus from the recycling bins, and then taken to a local facility in Santa Monica where they are sorted. From there, they are bundled and sold as commodities to be made into new products. Where exactly they go depends on the current market demand.
Who sorts the recyclables?
We have a contract with our waste hauler to sort out our recyclables. Most of UCLA’s recyclables are sorted locally at a facility in Santa Monica.
Does UCLA's trash get sorted so that recyclables in the trash are retrieved?
No. Sorting through trash is too expensive and leads to too much contamination, which is why it is important that you place ALL recyclables into recycling bins (blue lid or blue bin). Almost everything except food waste is recyclable including paper, plastic, glass, metal, and foam. If in doubt, ask yourself if it has any food on it – and if it does not have any food, place it into the recycling bin (blue lid or blue bin).
Other
Does recycling have a negative environmental impact?
No. Landfill space is limited and as local landfills close, waste will need to be trucked or trained out of state. Recycling is just one step to being sustainable though. For more information on how UCLA is sustainable and on how you can incorporate sustainability into your life, please visit http://www.sustain.ucla.edu
What happened to all the old bins?
Most of them have been repurposed as mixed recycling bins and paired with trash bins as part of the new mixed/ single stream recycling program.
Don't we get more money if we sort out recyclables first (i.e. rebates for paper, plastic bottles, or aluminum)?
Not necessarily. It is more important for us to reduce our environmental footprint than to worry about miniscule reimbursements. The UC system has set a goal of diverting 75% of waste from landfills by 2012 and of diverting 100% of waste from landfills by 2020. Other communities and schools that have switched to mixed recycling have seen an increase in waste diversion rates, and we hope to see even better results with our new program.
What does UCLA do with the money they get from recycling rebates?
The rebates are relatively small and do not even cover the cost to dispose of UCLA’s large amount of waste. The rebates go to support waste and recycling programs.
What about compost?
While compost is not currently feasible on a large scale, several pilot programs are running at UCLA restaurants and in on campus housing. The UC system has set a goal of diverting 75% of waste from landfills by 2012 and of diverting 100% of waste from landfills by 2020. In the future, compost may play a role in reaching those goals.
Requesting Recycling
I need a recycling bin for my office, room, department, etc. Where can I get one?
You can simply go to the following link to request the desired recycling receptacle from UCLA: http://www.sustain.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=2248
I live in the apartments off-campus, but my building doesn’t have any recycling bins. What can I do about this?
You can contact your building manager about receiving recycling services form you waste hauler. The L.A. County Recycling Ordinance mandates all waste haulers to provide this service, it also allows these haulers to charge a fee, but this fee is usually only between $0.50-$3.00 per month.
Contact
How can I get involved/ help spread the word about recycling at UCLA?
Please contact sustainability@ucla.edu
I have another question that was not answered here?
If your questions are not answered here or on the main recycling page, please direct any additional questions to Chris Gallego, Recycling Coordinator, gallego@facnet.ucla.edu
Published: Monday, April 14, 2008
Recycling Frequently Asked Questions
If your questions are not answered here or on the main recycling page please direct any additional questions to Chris Gallego, Recycling Coordinator, gallego@facnet.ucla.edu
Request a Recycling Bin for Your Department or Office
To request a recycling bin, please fill out the form below.
Recycling enthusiasts get tips from campus coordinators
Is it OK to put white paper with colored ink into the white paper recycling bins? What kinds of plastics can be recycled on campus? Can anyone get a battery-recycling bin in the office? The audience at a Dec. 3 Staff Assembly Learn-at-Lunch session on the university's recycling program peppered campus experts with such queries. (For the record, the answers are yes, 1-9, and of course in that order.)
UCLA Student Wins National Geographic Contest with a Film on Recycling
Alex Jeffries, a UCLA student and resTV staff member, received first place in the short film category of the National Geographic's Preserve Our Planet Film and PSA Contest for his film titled, "The Experimental Generation".
