Fresno State’s on-campus Public Recycling Center on Barstow Avenue will close Nov. 4 as the university enters a new, streamlined phase of its sustainability practices.
Community members who bring bottles, cans and cardboard for recycling are now directed to the nearest center at 67500 N. Cedar Ave. (southeast corner of Herndon Avenue).
The center’s closure doesn’t mean any less commitment to recycling by Fresno State, said Lisa Kao, manager of the Office of Environmental Health and Safety, Risk Management and Sustainability.
Fresno State is moving forward in a new partnership with Industrial Waste & Salvage (IWS) of Fresno to find and implement innovative and cost-effective methods to divert solid waste from landfill disposal.
Although the university meets and exceeds current State of California solid waste diversion requirements, the partnership is expected to better position the campus to meet the future state diversion goal of 75 percent.
Since May, campus, non-farm unit trash has been handled as 100 percent co-mingled recycling material. This means separate containers are no longer needed for recyclable waste in the state-owned buildings and campus areas considered state property, Kao explained.
“All waste in our dumpsters ultimately gets taken to a transfer station with hand and mechanized sorting processes to remove all recyclable material,” Kao said. “There is no need to self-sort recyclables for placement in special bins or dumpsters.
“Fresno State will continue to maintain its commitment to recycling and sustainability in partnership with IWS,” she said. “Our efforts to limit campus land-filled waste will continue to be a regular part of Fresno State’s day-to-day business.”
