Stanford University's campus recycling program has been named the top such school program across the nation for 2002 by the National Recycling Coalition.
In 2001, more than 11,000 tons of waste that otherwise would have gone to local landfills was recycled by the campus community, Julie Muir, community relations manager for Peninsula Sanitary Service Inc. (PSSI), says.
PSSI, which serves only Stanford, took over a student-run recycling program in 1991. The percentage of waste diverted from landfills has risen from 31 percent in 1994 to 53 percent in 2001.
The Stanford recycling program is notable for its range of recycled materials, Muir says. Along with paper, bottles and cans, the program recycles scrap metal, plastic bags and electronic equipment, as well as wood, concrete, asphalt and drywall from campus demolition and construction projects.
The company works with the Stanford Grounds Department to grind tree branches, brush and logs into chips for mulch and to collect landscaping waste for composting.
"We even compost the manure from the horse barn. Mushroom farmers love it," Muir says, adding that a program to recycle kitchen waste is now in the works.
Muir and Stanford Grounds Manager Herb Fong accepted the recycling award on behalf of the university at a ceremony in Austin, Tex. last month, but while Stanford seems to be at the top of its game in the recycling department, Muir believes there's room for improvement.