Commonly Asked Questions -- At Stanford

Q: How much waste does Stanford divert from the landfill?
A: Of all the solid waste that we created on the campus, we were able to divert 58% of it away from the landfill in 2005. We decrease the amount that we landfilled from last year and reduced our overall discards. We are still on an upward trend in reducing and recycling waste on campus!

Q: Has Stanford won any awards for its recycling program?
A: Yes, in fact, Stanford University and Peninsula Sanitary Service won the National Recycling Coalition’s Outstanding School Program Award in 2001. The NRC is a non-profit organization that promotes waste reduction, recycling, and composting through outreach, education, training, and advocacy. They award individuals, businesses, communities, and schools for recycling achievements. Stanford University and PSSI won the award because of the comprehensiveness of Stanford’s Recycling Program and the unique partnership formed between the University and PSSI which has resulted in 53% of the waste on campus being diverted from the landfill. Paper, bottles and cans, organics, electronics, and construction and demolition material are recycled in the campus program. It is very exciting to recognized on this level for all of the hard work the Stanford community puts into waste reduction and recycling. Keep up the good work! To learn more about this award, visit this webpage: http://recycling.stanford.edu/whatsnew/award.html.

Q: I am interested in recycling on campus, how can I get more involved?
A: There is an internship program at Peninsula Sanitary Service and the Stanford Recycling Center. We have 5 paid internship positions. There are a variety of areas and projects to be involved with including resident hall education, campus education, special event organizing, and school recycling. For more information about the internship see the internships section on this website (under Student Housing) or contact Julie Muir at juliem@pssi.stanford.edu or (650) 321-4236.

Q: Do you offer tours of the Stanford Recycling Center?
A: We do offer tours of the recycling center including our processing and marketing area. We have had small and large groups of students from pre-school to college come to learn about what happens to the recyclables once they have been collected. We discuss the life cycle of each of the materials and why it makes sense to recycle. We also look at some examples of new products made from recycled content. Call for an appointment.