Recycling on campus began in 1989 as a 3-month pilot program in two buildings, Administration and Anthropology, to determine the feasibility of establishing a permanent program. The highly successful project focused on white paper only due to the amount generated on campus. Recycling efforts expanded over the next couple of years to include most campus buildings. In 1990 the University decided to officially establish a Recycling Office with staff and resources to be able to carry out the enormous task. In that same year, the governor of Arizona signed the Arizona Recycling Act, which mandated that all state agencies reach a goal of recycling at least 50% of their office waste paper.
As the Recycling Program grew, other materials were added to the list. Corrugated cardboard, aluminum, and newspapers were obvious additions early in the program. As the years went on, other advances were made on campus. Cardboard recycling became more profitable with the purchase of a baler in 1994. One year later, FM purchased a book cutter to allow the paper from inside books to be harvested. After that, the type of paper recycled on campus was expanded from white paper only to a mix of pastels, glossy, and white called Office Pack. In 1999 the program added plastic recycling as a result of the change on campus from aluminum vending machines to plastic.
In 2000, the Recycling Office took on the responsibilities of running all trash operations on campus, to become Recycling and Waste Management. This has allowed FM’s program to more comprehensively look at the UA waste stream. FM can easily identify important areas where recycling or waste reduction is needed.
Know the Difference between Trash and Recycling!
It is the responsibility of every student and employee to recognize what is recycling and what is trash. The next time you throw something out, ask yourself "Is this trash or is it recycling?" and then use the correct receptacle.
The goal is to provide efficient, friendly trash and recycling services to the Campus community. We seek to divert as much material from the landfill as possible, therefore saving landfill costs and earning revenue. Please feel free to contact us with any ideas, concerns, or questions. Through everyone's participation we can make the University of Arizona an environmentally advanced campus.
