Recycling Services 

• Starbucks
• Non Recyclables
• Green Waste
• FAQ
• What Happens Next?
• Recyclables
• Recycling Locator
• Fun Facts & Tips

RecycleMania 2010 is now underway!

From January 27 to March 27

Keep CSUSM Champions for the 6th year in a row

Reduce …Reuse…Recycle

RecycleMania Champions 5 Years in a Row!

2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, & 2009!

Welcome to the world of recycling!

Our objective, at Cal State San Marcos, is to make recycling as easy and convenient as possible for the campus community. By recycling you can help to protect and improve our environment. Recycling means that items normally disposed of in landfill sites (large holes in the ground) or burnt in incineration plants can be reprocessed and remade into many useful products. Every item you recycle makes a difference.

Cal State San Marcos has statutory recycling targets set by government mandate, AB75. Our target was to achieve a recycling rate of 50% by  January 1, 2004. At this time, the campus has reached compliance of AB75 with a 55%+ diversion rate. Today, our strategic goal and vision is ZERO WASTE.

To approach the goal of Zero Waste, the Facility Services' Green Team continuously seeks ways to divert waste from our campus. The team identifies opportunities and implements innovative programs to increase the campus’s involvement in waste diversion. The main focus is to reduce, reuse, recycle and ultimately reach zero waste.

Recycling collection services for the campus are provided by the Facility Services' Blue Crew. This crew consists of experienced laborers and custodians who collect and sort recyclable materials generated by the campus community. Some recyclable products gathered by the crew include:

• Aluminum Cans        

• Plastic Bottles

• Glass Bottles

• Mixed Paper

• Cardboard

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Starbucks

While the regular Starbucks paper coffee cup is not recyclable, the thin brown heat insulating sleeve around the cup can be recycled as mixed paper.  All clear Starbucks plastic cups (and lids) should be recycled – even if partially filled.  Reusable commuter mugs are also a way to divert waste.

   

Recycle your plastic Starbucks cups

    

Use your commuter mug...

Coffee Grounds 

Every little bit helps in waste diversion. The university is partnering with Starbucks and our landscape contractor to recycle over 5 tons of coffee grounds, annually! By collecting and spreading the nitrite-rich grounds as fertilizer on sites all over campus, we not only enrich the soil, but we divert a substantial weight from our waste stream.  To learn more about the benefits of fertilizing with coffee grounds, visit Starbucks’ website.

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Green Waste 

An important component of the Cal State San Marcos recycling program is green waste. Our landscape contractor collects and recycles all tree trimmings, grass clippings and other natural green waste from campus grounds.

                         

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What to Recycle 

CANS

Aluminum Cans
Soup Cans
Tuna Fish Cans
Coffee Cans
Empty Aerosol Cans

PLASTIC

#1, #2 Plastic Bottles & Cups
Starbucks Plastic Cups
C-Store and Food Court Plastic Cups

GLASS

Glass Bottles
Glass Jars (remove tops)

CARDBOARD

Corrugated Cardboard

(Empty, flatten, and place beside recycling carts)
Pizza Boxes

PRINTER CARTRIDGES

Small Inkjet Cartridges

BATTERIES

Alkaline Batteries
Cell Phone Batteries
(Contact Facility Services for battery pick-up)

MIXED PAPER

Computer paper
White paper
Colored Paper
Shredded Paper (bagged)
“Post-It” Notes
Newspaper
Magazines
Blueprints
Catalogs
Junk Mail
Letter/Legal Envelopes
Window Envelops
File Folders
Phone Books
NCR Forms
Cereal Boxes
Cracker Boxes
Soda Cartons
Brown Paper Bags
Chip Board
Insulating Cup Sleeves

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Non Recyclables: What not to Recycle

PLASTIC

Yogurt Cups
Cottage Cheese Cups
Microwaveable Trays
Styrofoam (In all forms)
Plastic Grocery Bags

GLASS

Windowpane Glass
Drinking Glasses
Incandescent Light Bulbs
Porcelain
Ceramic
Pyrex 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
Hard Bound Books 

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FAQ 

1. What materials can I recycle?
You may recycle:
• Plastic bottles and cups with the #1 & #2 symbols on the bottom
• Glass bottles and jars
• Aluminum cans
• Tin cans
• Mixed paper, newspapers and most magazines 
• Corrugated cardboard
• Printer cartridges
• Batteries 

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2. Which campus recycling containers must I use when I am outdoors?
• You may choose from a variety of conveniently located recycling containers including carts, and single stream containers which can be found paired with nearly every outdoor trash container on campus. Additionally, we have provided several “one stop” recycling stations in front of Kellogg Library, University Hall, and the Arts and Science II buildings.

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3. What about recycling indoors?
• Individual offices are outfitted with single stream, blue recycling containers for desk side use. For common office areas, conference rooms and break rooms, there may be a single stream, blue recycling tub or "half round".
• There are larger recycling carts located at the ends of the corridors or in common areas in most buildings.
• You are responsible for sorting the recycling materials, in your desk side container, into the larger carts located in your building.

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4. What do I do with my shredded paper?
• You may put small quantities of loose shredding into the mixed paper recycling carts. For large amounts, please contain the shredding in a plastic bag. Fill and place the bag(s) next to the larger recycling carts in your building. If you anticipate generating significant amounts of shredded paper or cardboard. Call Facility Services at 750-4600 to request for a special pickup.

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5. What about printer cartridges?
• You can now recycle your small printer cartridges by mailing them to Facility Services. You can put in a request for these bags via this link Cartridge Recycle Form and they will be sent to you by Inter-Campus mail.
• Larger laser printer cartridges are processed separately through Central Stores.

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6. How often and when are the recyclables collected?
• The carts located indoors and outdoors are serviced daily, or as needed, by Facility Services. To report an overfilled cart, please call Facility Services at 750-4600.
• The carts are transported to our recycling center on campus. Here, the recyclable materials are sorted and collected in 3 and 5 yard containers. Once these containers become full, our recycling contractor hauls the material to their recycling plant for processing.

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7. Is it profitable to recycle?
• Cal State San Marcos shares whatever profit the material brings with our contract hauler. The university’s proceeds are placed in a Recycling Trust Fund which are used to support and further promote the program.

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8. Why is it profitable for the University to recycle?
• Cal State San Marcos realizes significant cost savings of more than $150,000 yearly, and also receives modest proceeds from the recycled materials.

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9. Does the campus community have to recycle?
• Yes, all state institutions, including universities, are required by law - AB75 - to divert 50% of their waste from the landfills by January 1, 2005. Currently, the university exceeds this mandate with a 55% diversion rate.

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10. What about recycling electronics?
• To recycle electronics, contact CSUSM Materials Management at (760) 750-4539
• Unsold operational electronics may then be donated to local educational institutions. Non-operational items are collected under the guidance of Risk Management and properly diverted.

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11. What can’t I recycle?
• Yogurt cups, Styrofoam and paper cups are just a few of the more common non-recyclables.

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Recycling Locator 

You may choose from a variety of conveniently located recycling bins including carts, and single stream containers which can be found paired with nearly every trash container on campus.

Additionally, we have provided several black “one stop” recycling stations in front of Kellogg Library, University Hall, Arts, and Science II buildings.

Inside buildings, larger blue mixed paper carts are usually located at the ends of the corridors or in the common areas.

Some larger offices and all classroom areas contain 32 gallon carts for cans & bottles.

 

In the future, the Recycling Locator will provide a convenient, interactive, map to assist you in locating your nearest recycling container. Until then, if you need assistance, please call Facility Services at 750-4600.

As recycling systems advance toward “single stream” (one for all) recycling, color codes will change. Watch our website for updates and announcements. Remember, always read the recycling container labels before depositing your recycling materials.

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What Happens Next? 

We are constantly working to expand and improve our Recycling Program at Cal State San Marcos as we strive to reach our strategic goal of… ZERO WASTE

• All university offices are being retrofitted with new blue recycling containers.
• A more comprehensive and convenient electronics recycling program will be developed.
• Look for new recycling promotion and awareness campaigns on this site and on campus.
• A composting program will be developed as an integral part of our waste diversion plan.
• As the campus continues to mature and grow, construction and demolition (C&D) debris will become a major factor in our waste stream diversion plans.

 

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Zero Waste 

Our strategic goal is zero waste. Zero Waste represents our vision of the future. It is a concept that can lead society to innovative breakthroughs that can save the environment, lives and money.  Zero Waste means diversion approaches 100% and "waste", as we term it, is essentially eliminated.  Together, we can help create a better world... beginning right here at Cal State San Marcos.

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Fun Facts & Tips

NEWSPAPER
Recycling 100 lbs. or a 36 inch stack of newspaper saves….
• 73 kilowatt hours of electricity
• About 14% of the average residential electric bill
• Enough to light 100 watt bulb more than 700 hours
• 2 gallons of gasoline

GLASS CONTAINERS
Recycling 100 lbs of glass saves….
• 29 kilowatt hours of electricity
• Light a 100 watt bulb for 290 hours
• Play a radio 3 hours a day for 4 months

PLASTIC
Recycling 1 plastic bottle….
• Powers a computer for 25 minutes

MIXED PAPER
Recycling 1 ton saves….
• 17 trees
• 4200 kilowatt hours of electricity

ALUMINUM CANS
Recycling 1 lb. or 26 cans will save…
• ¾ gallon of gasoline
• Light a 100 watt bulb for 290 hours
• Play a radio for 3 hours a day for 4 months

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Recognition

The Green Team would like to give a special thank you  to the following people for their assistance to the recycling program.

• Vickie Wheeler (appearing in our photographs)
• Gil Oswald & Adam Wilson (original webmasters)
• Mike Geck (current webmaster)

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