UC Davis Aggies Recycle 5 Tons Of Cardboard, 500 Lbs. Of Foam

DAVIS, CA — The University of California, Davis kicked off the new school year with its ninth annual move-in recycling drive. Over the freshman move-in weekend, Sept. 23-24, UC Davis once again partnered with Dart Container Corporation to advance the move-in tradition that enriches the environmental sustainability culture of the school. UC Davis’ team of recycling volunteers and students lent a helping hand in organizing all recycling material, further promoting zero-waste efforts on campus.

This year, Aggies sent 493 pounds of foam and 5.44 tons of cardboard to be recycled as part of their back-to-school ritual.

"We have noticed that each year during move-in that there is a large amount of recyclable material, which is why we continue this tradition," said Jenni Porter, Sustainability Manager for Student Housing and Dining Services at UC Davis. "It is important to provide students with the proper recycling resources during move-in. Not only is the packaging material being properly disposed of, but we are also able to educate students on the importance of being environmentally responsible."

This year, UC Davis ranked 10th on the Princeton Review’s list of "Top 50 Green Colleges." UC Davis and its Student Housing office continue to undertake their sustainability efforts in construction, operations and resident education.

As part of the partnership with Dart Container, students and volunteers gather all of the foam generated during the move-in weekend. Once collected, the foam is transferred by Dart to its Lodi facility where it is recycled. Once recycled, the foam is processed and sent to manufacturers in Southern California who will use the recycled foam to produce premium picture frames and crown molding. The cardboard collected by the students and volunteers were sent to Recycling Industries in Sacramento for processing.

"It is inspirational to see that UC Davis students are receptive to learning about the recycling process and are prompted to divert many products from reaching landfills," said Michael Westerfield, Director of Recycling with Dart Container. "UC Davis continues to be a great partner and we look forward to this event every single year."

More examples of UC Davis leadership in sustainability are posted online at: Sustainability.ucdavis.edu.

Information about Dart’s commitment with other schools, companies and municipalities, can be found at Dart.biz/recycleca.

For area residents interested in recycling, local drop-off for recyclables including foam can be found by searching "foam” at Search.earth911.com.

According to Dart, recyclable foam can be identified by a triangular chasing arrows stamp with a No. 6 in the center. Foam cups, food service containers, meat trays and packaging are just some of the products made of this material that can be recycled.

Photos courtesy UC Davis