Live Waste Tracking
UC Merced is committed to achieving zero landfill waste by 2020, and in order to achieve this goal we closely monitor our waste stream. Below you will find current waste numbers for our entire campus. We would like to mention that while we hand sort all waste for academic core, UCM Recycling currently does not directly handle housing and dining waste. We can't reach zero without your help!
Current Campus Diversion: 37%
*Diversion represents the amount of waste that is being removed from landfill. Zero waste is considered anything above 95% diversion.
Current Academic Core Diversion: 75%
Current Academic Core Waste Statistics:
- 89.60 tons of recyclable material
- 42.05 tons of yard waste (tree branches, grass clippings, etc.)
- 81.26 tons of food waste/compost
- 43.75 tons of landfill materials
Current Housing/Dining Diversion: 19%
Current Housing & Dining Waste Statistics:
- 86.12 tons of recyclable material
- 20.16 tons of cardboard
- 468.08 tons of landfill material
Definitions
Diversion: The amount of waste that is being removed from landfill. Zero waste is considered anything above 90% diversion, so the higher our diversion percentage the better!
Recycling: Plastic cups, aluminum cans, paper, glass, cardboard, metal, and much more are all a part of what we recycle. This material is then sent to Universal Service Recycling and American Recycling to be recycled.
Yard Waste: The plants you see on campus produce tons of compostable material, including grass clippings and hedge trimmings.
Food Waste: Your leftovers are being put to good use, any food material that is left in the trash is sent to Modesto for composting.
Landfill: Items like laminated paper, candy bar wrappers, and paper backed tinfoil can't be recycled or composted and must be sent to landfill instead.
