California Baptist University has been actively working to preserve the environment with the “Landfill” versus “Mixed Recyclables” program since September 2010.
The separate reciprocals provided at every trash can for landfill and mixed recyclables have helped CBU to be more environmentally conscious. Landfill trash is defined as food waste, such as El Monte Grill bowl leftovers or Chick-fil-A bags. Plastic, glass, aluminum and paper items can be deposited into the “Mixed Recyclables” containers.
Brenda Flores, assistant director of business administration for the Facilities and Planning Services office, shared how CBU benefits from the program.
“Our campus benefits from having a smaller carbon footprint,” Flores said. “We also obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or ‘LEED,’ points in our capital construction projects.”
The Business Building was built with the environment in mind and is LEED-certified, Flores said. On its website, LEED describes “green buildings” as “buildings that save money and resources and have a positive impact on the health of occupants, while promoting renewable, clean energy.”
Haynes Building Services, L.L.C. works alongside the facilities to keep CBU clean. Workers work every night, seven days a week, cleaning, vacuuming, emptying the trash, dusting and taking other measures to ensure the campus is clean.
Cornelius Gibson, facilities maintenance manager of CBU’s main campus, said during allergy and flu season, extra precautions are made to assure students’ health. Areas that are regularly touched by hands are taken into account and sanitized regularly.
“As an institution, we believe in having a clean environment that actually reduces germs and bacteria in the air,” Gibson said. “It is a healthy environment.”
When the recycling program was first initiated, CBU worked with Burrtec Waste Industries to create clean signs throughout campus to instruct students on how to properly recycle. While students are encouraged to try their best to separate their trash, Gibson said the program does not end there.
“When they pick up our trash and take it to our facility, it doesn’t matter if something got misplaced,” Gibson said. “They are doing the real recycling there.”
Both bins are placed onto conveyor belts to ensure everything is sorted properly and the right items are being recycled.
“All of these procedures are intended to help our environment,” Flores said. “We must, as the CBU community, be aware of the choices that we are making in regard to where we throw our trash or dispose of other unwanted items.”
