Recycling & Waste
Foremost among SCU's sustainability initiatives is the recycling program, named one of the best in Silicon Valley. In 2005, SCU recycled 85 tons of cardboard, 137 tons of paper, 25,100 pounds of tin, 1,000 pounds of aluminum, 12,600 pounds of plastic, 27,300 pounds of glass, and 216 tons of green waste. New initiatives in the test phase include food waste composting and use of used cooking oil to fuel diesel engines. See Recycling & Waste on the Facilities website for more information.
News
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A new guide is available to help campus residents identify materials that should be recycled in SCU residence halls. Categories include aluminum, plastics (#1-7), glass, tin, paper, corrugated cardboard, electronic waste, compact fluorescent light bulbs, batteries, and ink cartridges. *Updated September 16, 2008* Learn More »
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A new guide is available to help faculty and staff identify materials that can (and cannot) be recycled in SCU offices. Categories include paper, corrugated cardboard, beverage containers, scrap metal, electronic waste, batteries, and ink cartridges. Learn More »
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 Recycling FAQ's
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 SCU Recycling Club
The Recycling Club designs projects and events to encourage SCU students to recycle. Their projects include conducting audits of campus waste, volunteering as Recycling Directors at campus events, celebrating America Recycles Day in November, and promoting SCU's participation in RecycleMania during Winter Quarter. The Recycling Club meets on Thursdays at the Environmental Studies Institute. To find out more, visit the recycling group on Facebook: SCU Recycles.
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by Anne Farrell Traditionally, chemistry labs have been a source of large volumes of toxic waste. The waste generated by chemistry students must be disposed of properly, which can be expensive, and, even when the wastes are handled properly, there is lingering potential for lasting damage to air and water resources. As part of Santa Clara University’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the SCU Chemistry Department has made dramatic changes to its undergraduate laboratory exercises. Learn More »
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January 27 - April 5, 2007 This marks SCU's 2nd year as a participant in RecycleMania. Students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors are all in the game! Learn More »
About recycling & waste at SCU
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 Recyclable materials
Facilities recycles plastic, glass, metal (including tin cans), aluminum cans, mixed paper (including shoe boxes, magazines, junk mail, white/colored paper, snack/cereal boxes and other materials that don’t have wet strength), and corrugated cardboard.
SCU recycled 2,136 pounds of aluminum in 2006.
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 Green waste
Green waste (tree trimmings, grass clippings, etc.) weight totals are relatively easy to track given that SCU has central points of disposal: the compactor next to Benson Memorial Center, the compactor near the Facilities Building, and the Green Waste site. In FY 2005, 213.96 tons of green waste were composted. The majority of green waste is picked up by Mission Trails, though some of the green waste, such as trimming from trees and shrubs, is put in a wood chipper and turned into mulch or ground cover. Using green waste as ground cover reduces weed propagation and evaporation, which in turn reduce the use of herbicides and decrease landscaping watering needs.
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 Non-recyclable waste
Of the 1,000-plus tons of non-recyclable waste disposed of in FY 2005, 288.9 tons were disposed of via the Benson Memorial Center compactor and 730 tons via the Facilities compactor. In FY 2006, the numbers rose to 336.5 tons for the Benson Memorial Center compactor, 793.88 tons for the Facilities compactor. Facilities is in the process of installing smaller scales to obtain more detailed records about the quantity and specific origins of waste. This will provide better information for strategies aimed at reducing waste in targeted areas.
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 Chemical waste
Hazardous chemical waste is picked up and disposed of by a third-party company, All-Chem.
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 Electronic waste
In July 2006, 1,918 pounds of electronic waste were recycled. American Metal and Iron hauls the waste once a month.
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 Food waste
In 2002, food waste numbers were documented by Facilities for seven months during a trial compost period. The compost material was taken by Mission Trail Waste Systems to a composting plant. The program was short-lived due to the high cost of separating and transporting food waste. During the trial program, 50.26 tons of food waste were collected and added to the green waste for composting at a total cost of $14,357 or $2,051 per month.
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