Waste Management
In line with statewide goals, our campus is aiming to increase our waste diversion rate to 75 percent by 2020 and to move toward zero waste. We’re pursuing these goals by:
- Encouraging the use of products that minimize the amount of trash sent to landfills
- Participating in the CalRecycle Buy-Recycled program
- Increasing our recycled-content purchases
In the past few years, Cal State Fullerton has:
- Diverted 57.59% of waste from landfills, or at least 1,657 tons per year
- Increased recycling collection from all buildings, with dual Max-R recycling-and-waste bins and common recycling signage installed across campus
- Recycled, donated or otherwise recovered at least 1,675 tons of construction and demolition materials each year
- Eliminated printing of the University Course Catalog, making it available online
- Increased recycling of electronic waste, such as old phones, televisions and AV equipment, through partnerships with ECS Refining, Recycle International and Ewaste Center, Inc.
- Contracted with General Auction Company to sell surplus furniture and other items, including 143 tons of material in 2018
- Recycled 28 out of a possible 41 waste streams
- Installed hand dryers in campus restrooms to reduce paper towel use
- Created an online hazardous waste pickup request form for faculty and staff, and consolidated compatible hazardous waste to reduce disposal costs
- Employed zero-waste policies at special events on campus
- Set up donation and cardboard collections on student housing move-in/move-out days
- Worked with waste hauler to improve accuracy of data collection
- Improved our purchasing policy to add more sustainable products
- Installed an oil filter crusher and bulk oil tank to collect motor oil for recycling
- Purchased self-mulching mowers and instituted green-waste collections at the campus athletic fields for off-site recycling by Republic Services
- Installed waste and recycling compactors at Pollak Library to reduce pickups, cut disposal costs and reduce
- Launched a biannual cigarette butt clean-up
