This semester, Yuba College students have been seeing blue, thanks to the new recycling program instituted by Rod Perry, Director of Maintenance and Operations, with help from the Yuba-Sutter Disposal Inc. Perry helped start this program to meet a mandate set by State Bill AB 75.
“Our goal (under the mandate) is to reduce the amount of solid waste by 50 percent by 2004,” said Perry. “Yuba-Sutter Disposal is under the same type of mandate. We’re trying to institute the same program we use at home. Initially, we had to come with 25 percent compliance by 2002, and we met that.”
“Unfortunately, we’re probably between 10 and 15 years behind the recycling curve,” continued Perry, “but the state mandate will bring us up to date.”
So far, students seem to be adjusting to the recycling change pretty well, according to Perry.
“I’ve checked through the Toters; we’re getting good compliance,” said Perry. “It’s so difficult to educate people about this program. At first, the success was overwhelming. Only one Toter had been contaminated with food. I don’t think we’ll have trouble meeting the 50 percent requirement at this point.”
The blue Toters are located across campus, and soon there will be blue recycling bins inside classrooms, according to Perry.
“We have placed the blue Toters throughout the campus, and we will have the blue cans in buildings soon,” said Perry. “I’m guessing we have about 60 Toters through the campus, and we’ve requested a dozen more.”
“We haven’t gotten into the cafeteria yet,” continued Perry during a mid-September interview. “When we start the program in the cafeteria, it will be more difficult to educate students on what is and what isn’t recyclable. Food contaminates recyclables. Yet, there’s such a possibility there for recycling. We’re working with the cafeteria staff to implement the program. I expect it will be implemented (the week of September 22).”
The recycling program isn’t the first that has been on campus. “The ASYC was involved with recycling for years, using the money to go towards textbooks,” said Perry.
Soon, the recycling program will be extended to the other campuses in the Yuba Community College District.
“Once this project is in place in Marysville, we’re going to go to the Woodland and Clear Lake campuses to make it district-wide,” said Perry. “I’m going to Woodland on October 3 to talk with the faculty and staff about the plan.”
“It’s a work in progress,” said Perry, “and we have to make it easy. This program would be unsuccessful without the help of my custodial staff, they are the people who make the program work.”
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