May 15, 1996 Contact: Francine Tyler (408)459-2495; ftyler@ua.ucsc.edu

UC SANTA CRUZ STEPS UP CAMPUS RECYCLING PROGRAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SANTA CRUZ--The University of California, Santa Cruz, is reorganizing its recycling program. By June 1, it will begin placing 300 new collection bins around campus in an effort to recycle more materials otherwise destined for the city landfill.

A $56,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation has provided start-up funds for UCSC to enact its Waste Diversion Master Plan. The plan calls for bringing the university's residential and office recycling programs under one administrative roof, purchasing additional bins, trucks, and equipment, and increasing the types and amount of materials collected.

As of June 1, Physical Plant will become the coordinating office for the campus's recycling program. Currently, most of the recycling activities on campus are divided between the Housing Office and Physical Plant. A number of other offices also run small recycling programs.

Since 1993, the campus's recycling rate has hovered near 20 percent, meaning that approximately one-fifth of UCSC's total refuse is recycled. That rate meets standards set by the campus's 1988 Long Range Development Plan, says Dean Fitch, senior superintendent at Physical Plant. However, it falls short of a current state goal of 25 percent, which will be increased to 50 percent in the year 2000, he says.

Implementation of the Waste Diversion Master Plan should help the campus increase its recycling rate to 25 percent by next year, predicts David Wade, who will become the campus's recycling coordinator on June 1. Physical Plant is implementing the plan in three phases over a three-year period.

With the consolidation of campus recycling activities, the expansion of collection sites, and other efforts, Phase I should bring waste-diversion levels up to 30 percent, Wade says.

Phase II will take place next year. As part of this phase, Physical Plant will begin collecting glossy magazine paper and newsprint from campus offices. It may also build a recycling center on campus, where materials can be washed and sorted. This phase should boost UCSC's recycling rate by an additional 8 to 12 percent. --more--

Phase III is projected to be implemented in the 1997-98 school year. It calls for composting campus green-organic and food wastes and should allow the campus to divert an additional 15 to 25 percent from the city landfill.

This release is also available on the World Wide Web at UCSC's "Services for Journalists" site (http://www.ucsc.edu/news/journalist.html).

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