Waste

Dumpster painted with a blue background and green recycling "chasing arrows" symbol on it.

When it comes to waste, mindful practices and a collaborative spirit define the scene at Oxy.

We interact with waste every day. Whether it be a candy wrapper or some grapes forgotten at the back of the fridge, knowing how to responsibly dispose of our waste can make a huge difference in our campus carbon footprint. Reducing, reusing, and recycling are pinnacles of Oxy's waste management strategy, but it takes all of us to participate! Toggle below to find out more about our waste reduction and diversion programs. 

In the Fall of 2023, Oxy's largest dining hall adopted an all-reusable takeout box program. All meals taken to go at the Marketplace are served in reusable, dishwasher-safe, and microwavable "eco-clamshells," which must be checked out using the ReusePass program.

 
How to Participate: 
  1. Sign up for ReusePass before you plan to take food to go from the Marketplace. Go to app.reusepass.com/oxy and follow the prompts to create your account. 
  2. Check out your eco-clamshell by having your ReusePass QR code ready at checkout! The dining staff team will scan your QR code and the container QR code when you check out at the Marketplace. This completes the check-out process, and you'll see the eco-clamshell in your ReusePass account. (Pro-Tip! Add your ReusePass QR code to your mobile wallet or take a screenshot for easy access!)
  3. Enjoy your meal waste-free and then return the container to the tray drop within 72 hours. Once a container is checked out, it must be returned within 72 hours, or you will incur a late fee. 
 
Program Impact ('23-'24): 
  • 55,000 single-use containers saved from landfill 
  • 5,400 lbs of waste diverted 
  • 35,500 gallons of water saved 

Learn more on the Campus Dining Sustainability page, or email dining@oxy.edu with any questions!

The Marketplace, Tiger Cooler, and student-run Green Bean Cafe all allow customers to bring their own mug or cup for drinks! The Green Bean also offers a "for here" mug program in an effort to reduce waste.

Green Move Out is a collaborative effort of the Office of Sustainability, Residential Education and Housing Services (REHS), and Facilities Management to divert as much of these items as possible from landfill and circulate them back into the local community. 

Beginning the day after classes end in the spring, students may donate acceptable items to the Donation Stations located in each residence hall by sorting them into the appropriate donation bin! This helps to keep the bins from overflowing, and helps Green Move Out volunteers direct the donated goods to the right recipient, including our on-campus Oxy Ecossentials Club, which hosts an annual Fall Move-In Thrift Sale, and the Critical Making Studio, as well as off-campus locations like local thrift shops and shelters. 

 
Program Impact (2024): 
  • 8,700 total pounds of donations
  • 19 volunteers contributing 300+ hours
  • 4,600 pounds of goods distributed to local businesses and organizations, including:
  • 3,100 pounds of dorm goods, books, & Oxy merch to be incorporated into Ecossentials campus thrift shop, opening Fall 2024!

Visit the Green Move Out page for more information!

For over 10 years, the Oxy Ecossentials student club has collected secondhand dorm goods at the end of the year and resold them to the community for affordable prices, encouraging reuse on campus and diverting valuable items from the landfill. At the beginning of each semester, we host thrift sales of pre-loved dorm and college essentials like fans, lamps, hangers, school supplies, textbooks, and Oxy gear for affordable prices!

Beginning Fall 2024, Oxy Ecossentials will operate out of the Concessions Stand across from the Bengal Room as they pilot an on-campus thrift shop! Follow them on Instagram for the latest updates and information @oxyecossentials. 

 
Common Items & General Pricing: 
  • Dorm Organizers $1-3
  • Fans $3-5
  • Laundry Baskets $2
  • Laundry Drying Racks $2
  • Mirrors $3
  • Kitchen Items $0.50-5
  • Mini Trash Cans $3
  • Hangers $1 for 10
  • Rugs $5-10
  • Oxy Gear (tee shirts, sweatshirts) $2-5
  • Decor $1-3
  • Textbooks $3-10
  • Other books $2-5

Excess edible food from the Marketplace is frozen and stored for student volunteers from the Excess Food Recovery Team (EFRT) to pick up and redistribute it to local community organizations, including the Hollywood Food Coalition. This not only reduces the amount of food wasted in the MP, but combats food insecurity in Los Angeles. 

Since its founding in Fall of 2017, EFRT has donated over 20,000 pounds of food. For more information or to get involved, check out @oxy_efrt on Instagram or contact efrt@oxy.edu.

When sent to landfill, food scraps emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas more effective at trapping heat than CO2. In an effort to prevent methane emissions, food scraps from Oxy's campus dining facilities are processed two ways.

Pre-consumer food scraps from the Marketplace kitchen (eg. melon rinds, apple cores, pineapple skins) are picked up by FEAST student workers and taken to the Bruce Steele Garden. The food scraps are composted in windrows and naturally break down into a nutrient-dense fertilizer for the garden beds. 

Post-consumer food scraps (eg. pizza crusts, chicken bones, leftover salad) left at the Tray Drop in the MP or placed in the green compost bins around campus are loaded into our campus food waste compactor before they are picked up by Universal Waste Systems and brought to an anaerobic digester facility in Rialto, CA, where the methane is captured and used as natural gas. 

 
Compostable Items: 
  • ALL food waste (meat, dairy, bones, grease, vegetables, fruits, and coffee grounds)
  • Unbleached paper products (napkins, plates, bowls)
  • BPI-certified compostable paper cups from the Green Bean
  • NO plant-based plastic items (utensils, cups, lids, straws)

Recycling allows materials to be continually reused and repurposed into new products, exending their "lifecycles" and preventing the manufacturing or extraction of raw materials. At Oxy, recyclable items can be placed together in any blue bin on campus. 

 
Recyclable Items: Must Be Empty and Clean!
  • Paper
    • White or colored paper
    • Magazines and newspaper
    • Construction paper and cardstock
    • Shredded paper must be inside a paper bag before recycling
    • Paperback books
    • Gift wrap (no glitter or metallic)
  • Cartons
    • Milk, juice, and soy milk (TetraPak label)
  • Cardboard
    • Shoeboxes, cereal boxes, shipping boxes
    • Please flatten cardboard before recycling
  • Glass
    • Bottles
    • Jars
    • Leave caps on!
  • Metals
    • Aluminum (soda cans, foil, paper clips)
    • Steel (food cans)
    • Tin 
    • EMPTY aerosol cans
  • Plastics
    • Water bottles
    • Yogurt containers/plastic tubs
    • Clamshell containers (fruit, salads, sandwiches)
    • Jugs (milk, juice, shampoo)
  • NO PLASTIC BAGS
  • NO STYROFOAM
  • NO CHIP BAGS OR CANDY WRAPPERS
  • NO FOOD

Check out this helpful Los Angeles recycling guide for more helpful tips.

Certain materials can be harmful to the environment and people working in waste management if improperly disposed of. Please follow these guidelines to make sure these items are properly recycled. 

Batteries

The cash register of the Bookstore is the place to recycle your batteries. Remember, batteries contain toxic elements, so they need to be recycled separately.

Printer Cartridges

The cash register of the Bookstore is also the place to recycle your empty printer cartridges.

Electronic waste (E-waste)

Battered and/or broken-down mice, screens, printers and other small electronic equipment can be dropped off at the IT Help Desk on the main floor of the Academic Commons. Informational Technology Services (ITS) partners with Environmental Health and Safety to collect e-waste as they continuously upgrade the college’s technologies.

Also, campus-wide e-waste collections take place at the end of each semester. This is a great opportunity to get rid of any old or broken printers, scanners, keyboards, VHS tapes, connectors/cables and other miscellaneous e-waste that has been sitting around.

Cooking Oil

Campus Dining contracts with FiltaFry to reduce the amount of frying oil used via filtration. Once the oil becomes unusable, FiltaFry recycles the fryer waste oil into biodiesel. 

Contact Sustainability
Office of Sustainability

1600 Campus Road M-6
Los Angeles, CA 90041

sustainability@oxy.edu

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