University of California, Irvine
OP-17: Waste Reduction

UCI has both a Solid Waste Management Policy and Solid Waste Diversion Plan. Expanding the commingled recycle program and implementing food composting, combined with increased education, has vaulted the campus' waste diversion rate from 58% to 82% over the past four years. UCI recently expanded the commingled recycle program to all classrooms and the pedestrian mall. The ongoing recycling educational and awareness program includes new student orientation, signage, electronic billboards, recycling speaking engagements, recycling competitions, and zero waste events to further increase campus recycling and our diversion rate. For example, in the 2012 RecycleMania competition, UCI was in the top 1% in the country. UCI ranked in the top 10 in 3 of the seven competition categories among 605 colleges and universities nationwide. Actual rankings: • Grand Champion – 6th Place (highest recycling rate as percentage of overall waste generation) • Gorilla Prize – 3rd Place (highest gross tonnage of combined paper, cardboard, and bottles & cans) • Paper Recycling – 9th Place UCI is committed to reducing waste even before it needs to be recycled. Before the campus launched recycling educational programs at each of the housing areas, these areas had an 11% diversion rate. With the education component, the diversion rate climbed to 47% in 2012. More importantly, UCI is teaching students how to reduce and reuse prior to recycling. UCI has collection bins at the dorms and student apartment-style housing year-round for Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and Planet Aid. UCI sponsors a student move-in cardboard collection program in September as well as a move-out donation and recycle program in June. The 2012 “Move Out Donation Throwdown” program resulting in 99.10 tons of clothing, furniture and electronics being donated to local charities. In 2012-2013, UCI held seven large-scale “Zero Waste Events” (3,000-6,000 attendees). These events were designed to raise awareness on how easy it is to recycle and compost on campus. UCI's Homecoming Street Fair and basketball game resulted in a 72% diversion rate in 2012 and achieved a 96.5% diversion rate in 2013. The average of the other events was 91%. The campus set up numerous stations with a three-bin system (compost, recycling, and landfill) and had a team of two students stand by the bins talking with event attendees about the campus's zero waste goal. The students also helped attendees sort their waste into the appropriate bins. All prior campus events had only a 5% diversion rate. Campus sustainability clubs have committed to being “Trash Talkers” for the remaining large-scale events this year. Campus policy is taking strides to require recycling at all campus events. Hydration stations are another way UCI reduces waste. In 2011-12, UCI installed 28 bottle-filling stations with plans to add two more locations in 2013 for students and staff to refill their own water bottles to help eliminate the use of disposable bottles on campus. The hydration station monitors show an average of 1,440 bottles filled each month per location. UCI reduced recycled plastic by 14 tons in 2012, and sales of bottled water have dropped by 17%.

The University of California Policy on Sustainable Practices calls for system-wide attainment of the following goals: 50% diversion rate by 2009: UCI met this goal 75% diversion rate by 2012: UCI met this goal in 2011 100% diversion rate by 2020: Zero Waste