Author: Mikayla White (pictured above), Zero Waste Analyst, UCSF Health.
UCSF Health has an ambitious zero waste goal to reach 50% diversion from landfill by 2025. This goal depends on proper sorting techniques, and since UCSF Health does not have waste sorters beyond dining facilities* to decontaminate bins after waste has been tossed, the responsibility falls on individuals to sort waste properly at the bin.
Why Everyone Should Care About Waste Sorting
Waste stream contamination happens when compost ends up in recycling, landfill waste in compost, or any other variation of the seven possible scenarios when considering compost, recycling, and landfill – the three main streams. Such improper sorting can cause pollutants to harm both the planet and its inhabitants' health. For example, when you toss your food scraps into the trash can, which gets aggregated by the UCSF Health custodial team, it is collected by Recology and sent directly to the landfill. When compost ends up in landfills, it releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas and air pollutant that contributes to respiratory issues.
Additionally, when more waste is sent to the landfill instead of recycling and composting facilities, the carbon emissions and diesel pollution associated with hauling large amounts of waste is greater, further increasing the greenhouse gas impact and environmental health threats imposed on marginalized groups in the transportation path. Besides human communities, reducing downstream waste can prevent contamination of the surrounding environment and watersheds as well. Landfill waste doesn’t get sorted after you toss it in the bin, so it’s up to you to sort it properly for the planet's and your community's sake.
Plastic recycling in the Recology Recycle Center at Pier 96.
Too Much Waste for All Intelligence–Human and Artificial
To get a better idea of what happens to waste after leaving UCSF medical centers, the UCSF Health Waste Sustainability team took a tour of the Recology landfill, compost, and recycling centers. We were able to see where the landfill and compost go after being picked up, as well as the sorting process of recyclables.
Although there are both human and AI sorters for the recycling stream, the sheer quantity of waste requires sorting at such a high pace that contaminants remain in the recycling. The landfill stream does not get sorted, meaning any compostable or recyclable materials in landfill bins go to the landfill. This is why sorting at the time of disposal is so important. Every individual's actions can accumulate to make a large difference.
Pilot Programs to Curb Contamination
In order to increase the ease of sorting done by individuals, UCSF Health is implementing a few different pilot programs at the medical centers including testing out adding lids and custom signs to specific recycling bins to see if that reduces contamination. To address compost contamination, we are piloting a revised compost educational strategy as well as adding compost bins at all bathrooms to capture paper towels. These changes are being tested at the medical center at Parnassus heights and if successful, will be implemented at the other medical centers.
With all that UCSF Health is doing in terms of waste diversion, real change cannot happen without your help. Here are some easy things you can do to practice better waste sorting:
- There is signage on/near every bin at UCSF Hospitals, so take a moment to look at the signs and think about where waste belongs before you toss
- Visit the UCSF Health Waste website and review bin signage to learn what goes where
- Sign up for a team training or invite us to one of your staff meetings to learn about proper sorting techniques
- Take a free tour of the Recology facilities
If you want to sign up for staff training, or if you or your team wants to take the Recology tour, reach out to Isabel Jauregui (Isabel.Jauregui2@ucsf.edu) and we will help sign up.
* UCSF Health Food Services have a program for sorting dining room waste at Parnassus, and everything from the inpatient trays at all three sites. The dining rooms at Mission Bay and Mount Zion depend on consumer-faced sorting. There is no sorting done with the waste from the pantries, offices, nurse station, dirty utility, etc.
UCSF campus has waste sorter, learn more here.
