Waste Diversion & Recycling Program

Waste Diversion & Recycling Program

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Recycling

Solid Waste and Compostables

Batteries and Small Electronic Waste

Large Item Disposal

FAQs

Recology Sorting Guides

Cal Maritime contracts for the collection of solid waste and recycling. Cal Maritime Facilities Operations operates an integrated waste management program that includes source use reduction, recycling, green waste, and resale of scrap metal and surplus equipment. 

Recology’s Zero Waste Specialists will provide ongoing training to the campus, focusing on our residential community. Please help by segregating your waste.  

We always appreciate your input and involvement. If you have any questions, please email facilities@csum.edu.  

*PLEASE NOTE: disposal and/or dumping of personal or household waste from off-campus is strictly prohibited. Violations will be referred to Cal Maritime Police Department (CMPD) for investigation, and offenders may be subject to penalty. 

 

Recycling

The campus has converted most white “cardboard only” dumpsters to mixed recycling. Recology can collect both cardboard and other recyclables together. The converted white dumpsters are labeled “mixed Recycling” and display recycle pictograms indicating what is recyclable to help us sort accurately. Recycle Guide poster

The mixed recycled dumpsters will always have blue lids and will often be white boxes with a few gray boxes. All mixed recycled dumpsters will be clearly labeled. Two mixed recycled dumpsters have been added to Maritime North and all other cadet housing locations. Additionally, blue recycling containers will be provided to the residential community to facilitate the change. The blue household rolling totes around campus will be eliminated, except for a small number for special events.  

Centralized recycling and landfill containers are strategically located in each building. The individual office containers have been removed, except in specific locations such as labs, treatment rooms, kitchens, and restrooms. 

Housing residents are expected to segregate landfill and recyclable waste and transfer it to the proper dumpster. Pictograms, shown below, are on most disposal containers to guide proper segregation. It is important to note that mixed recyclables must be loosely placed in recycle dumpsters, as trash bags cannot be processed at the sorting center. 

 

Trash and Compost poster

Solid Waste and Compostables 

All compostable material should continue to be placed in landfill containers. The campus collects pre-consumer compostables from the dining center kitchen, and Facilities collect green waste from our landscape. Individual post-consumer compost collection is a future goal. 

 

 

 

 

 

Batteries and Small Electronic Waste ewaste poster

These items cannot be disposed of in the regular trash. Please collect these items and place them in the central container.

If disposing of items large electronics, coordinate with IT by submitting a request to Helpdesk@csum.edu.  When ready for removal, follow the large item disposal instructions.

 

 

 

Large Item Disposal

Items larger than a trash bag cannot be placed in landfill dumpsters. A work order must be submitted to pick up and dispose of large items, which may be chargeable to your department. Fees will be communicated before pickup. 

Important Guidelines: 

  • Submit a Work Order: If you will be generating large amounts of trash or bulky items that need removal, please submit a work order in advance. This ensures that our facilities team can efficiently handle the disposal. To place a work order online go to https://csum.metabim.com/ or call 707-654-1120 for Facilities dispatch. 
  • What to Include: When submitting your work order, please briefly describe the items to be removed and their location. 

 

FAQs 

The two main reasons are to reduce the demand for Custodial services so they can focus their limited time and resources on more critical housekeeping tasks. The second reason is to encourage waste, especially food waste, to be moved out of offices, which helps avoid attracting rodents.  

Yes, the campus does recycle. The biggest driver for EVERY person to segregate waste properly is to keep it out of landfills and reduce the demand for new materials.  Although even those that do not recognize the importance to the planet, non-contaminated mixed recycling has NO COST for disposal, while landfill waste is very expensive.  

Our region's Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) cannot segregate materials in plastic trash bags. Recyclables are transferred onto conveyor belts and using a combination of mechanical sorting technologies like magnets, screens, and optical scanners to separate different types of recyclables (like paper, plastic, metal, and glass) into distinct streams, allowing them to be processed and sold to manufacturers for reuse. 

  • All recycled cardboard and paper products can only be processed for recycling if dry and saturated material may even need to go to a landfill.  
  • Water adds a tremendous amount of weight. Solid waste costs are determined by weight, meaning we pay to dispose of rainwater. 
  • If a dumpster has any holes, then if rain falls in, then it will drain out the bottom, carrying other contaminants. 
  • Rodents, raccoons, skunks, and others are attracted to open dumpsters for possible scraps. They can become a significant problem by spreading waste, scaring people, or even posing a danger to people trying to deposit material.