Waste Diverted
Current State legislation AB75
requires San Jose State University to divert at least 50% of our waste from landfill.
These are our diversion rates for the last five years, and you can see that we have
met or exceeded this requirement.
SJSU waste diversion rates since 2007:
- 2007 = 51.6%
- 2008 = 77.1%
- 2009 = 86.6%
- 2010 = 88.4%
- 2011 = 88.7%
- 2012 = 88.7%
A significant contributor to our waste reduction and recycling programs is our waste
hauler Green Waste Recovery Inc.
, which began service to SJSU on May 1 of 2008. This hauler takes waste that isn't
already being separated and picked up by our various recycling partners to their material
recovery facility, or “MRF”, which is the acronym used to refer to these facilities
in the waste management industry. Green Waste operates both a “clean” sort line for
mixed recyclables, and a “dirty” sort line for mixed waste, At the MRF, the waste
is sorted, and every recyclable or compostable item is pulled out and processed, with
very little waste actually sent to landfill.