SCC’s Waste Diversion Program
Modeling a clean & green ethic for our students
SCC's Waste Diversion program began in 1999 as a response to AB75, which mandated that state facilities divert at least 25% of their solid waste from landfills by 2002 and 50% by 2004. SCC has met and/or exceeded the mandate each year.
According to Operations Technician Karen Chewning, installing recycling containers next to waste baskets in offices, pairing one recycle container with each waste container on campus, and training staff to be conscious of recycling have been the building blocks for our success. Still, SCC is constantly strengthening our efforts to provide information on waste diversion in order to increase student and staff engagement.
The graph below depicts SCC's Waste Diversion progress 2002-2007.
The chart at the bottom of the page is a more in-depth depiction of SCC's progress in reaching the 50% goal each month, showing the Mixed Recyclables and Green Waste amounts (in tons) as well as the monthly tons of trash. The red "% Diversion" line shows the ratio of Green Waste plus Mixed Recyclables versus trash graphically as a percentage for each month.
SCC's waste reduction and recycling program models an ethic for our students that, like their formal education and training, will accompany them as they find and/or create jobs in the private and public sector. These forward-thinking employees and business owners, former students, will support their companies and employers in implementing prudent, productive voluntary waste diversion programs.
