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.
