Environmental Health and Safety

Recycling Program

Citrus College generated almost 1,200 tons of waste in 2000. The two biggest components of our waste turn out to be green waste (240 tons) and paper products (70 tons). This shouldn't come as any surprise, if you think about it for a minute. After all, Citrus College has about 30 acres of landscaping and athletic fields to maintain, and most of us handle and generate paper documents, mail and files in various amounts on a daily basis.

Reducing Waste Makes Sense

When our trash goes to a landfill, along with the trash of millions of other people and thousands of other businesses, it does not go away just because we no longer see it. Californians sent more than 60 million tons of trash to various landfills last year. And, as our population expands and its hyper-consuming patterns continue, so too will the trash it generates.

Our trash is not environmentally benign; as it decomposes, poisons and chemicals leach down into our soil, our groundwater and vent into the air. Most of us depend on groundwater for our drinking water, and all of us must breathe the air. In short, our wasteful habits continually revisit us in the form of unhealthful pollution.

Recently, legislation titled AB 75 was enacted. Like AB 939, which mandated California cities to reduce their share of landfill waste by half, AB 75 similarly requires that all state and public agencies develop an "integrated waste management program" to reduce the amount of trash going into landfills by 50% by 2004. This requirement puts formally voluntary recycling programs, source reduction strategies and reuse programs into an entirely new light. They are now indispensable tools for waste management.

Over the years, Citrus College has implemented several programs to help reduce the amount of waste going into our trash. We hope to start others soon.

Office Paper Recycling+-

How It Works

Obtain a desk side recycling container for paper recycling at your desk and be responsible for emptying its contents into the green or white office paper recycling bags located in or near your office.

To obtain a desk side recycling container, set up an office paper recycling bag system, or to get more information about the program, please call the environmental health and safety programs supervisor at extension 8704.
The green or white office paper recycling bags are usually emptied on Monday evenings.
The environmental health and safety programs supervisor administers the overall program, provides and replaces the desk side recycling containers, monitors the green or white paper recycling bags, and handles special request pickups when needed such as end-of-the-year file cleaning.

Acceptable Paper to be Recycled

ALL white and color paper
ALL copy paper
ALL "stapled" brochures, magazines and catalogs
ALL posters (NO plastic laminated posters)
ALL manila folders
ALMOST all envelopes (please no inter-office envelopes)
ALL fliers

Non-Recyclable Items

NO ream wrap – vapor barrier paper (if it is coated with a plastic film)
NO glue bound books, catalogs or magazines
NO particle (of fiber board) paper (such as soft drink boxes)
NO newspaper - this is recycled separately
NO photos or photographic paper
NO paper cups, plates or food/candy wrappers
NO food scraps
NO napkins, towels or tissue paper
NO cans or bottles (plastic or glass) - this is recycled separately
NO cardboard - this is recycled separately

Other Programs+-

Aluminum Cans, Glass and Plastic Bottle Recycling

Currently, there is no district recycling program; however, recycling of these products occur throughout campus by individuals and departments. The district is reviewing a campus-wide program under their sustainability plan.

Batteries and Fluorescent Lamp Tubes Recycling

These items are currently listed by California as a "Universal Hazardous Waste." Citrus College collects and stores them safely in an accumulation site for annual bulk recycling. If your office has a small amount of AAA through D size or 9-volt type batteries that have ended their useful life, you may send them through the mail to the environmental health and safety programs supervisor. For larger quantities, please schedule a pick up at extension 8704. Car batteries are recycled through the facilities department.

Cardboard Recycling

Citrus College has a complete cardboard recycling program. If you or your department has cardboard to recycle, please flatten the boxes and place outside the building, near a trash can, in a neat pile, for pick-up. Cardboard is picked up daily, usually in the morning. For special requests, please call facilities at extension 8690.

Office Furniture, Computers, and Other Electronic Equipment

Please don't throw them into the trash dumpster. There is value in that old furniture and equipment, no matter how dated or poor a condition they are in! Contact the warehouse at 8844 or 8692, or the environmental health and safety programs at 8704. Give your old office or classroom equipment or furniture a chance for a second life through recycling or our "reuse" and surplus program.

Recycling Printer and Copier Toner Cartridges

While empty printer and copier toner cartridges are not considered hazardous, they are 100% reusable and/or recyclable. All printer and copier toner cartridges are to be recycled; do not throw any away.

Place the used cartridge in the original box, write on the outside of the box "RECYCLE - RETURN TO THE WAREHOUSE" and send it via inter-office mail. Once received at the Warehouse, it will be properly recycled.

Recycling Used Motor Oil and Other Automotive Solvents and Liquids

This waste stream is generated in only two departments: the automotive technology department and the facilities department. They are hazardous to our health and to the environment and must be recycled. There are many used oil recycling centers located nearby that will accept used motor oil and other solvents.