Spring 2015
Committee:
Regional Affairs Committee
Whereas, California Community Colleges, resolve to move in the direction of encouraging sustainable means of processes that will increase the awareness of the impact of human ecological foot prints, this is done by providing systems of innovative thought to be a part of the Green Movement in California. As it stands, 1,200 pounds of organic waste per capita goes directly into landfills, which could be composted. The United States per capita level of waste annually is around 1,600 pounds; This means that the United States, containing 5% of the world population, contributes to 40% of gross international waste;
Whereas, California Community Colleges, seek to embed means of efficient waste management through ensuring the transformation of useful inputs to outputs. It is essential to maintain a sense of stewardship on campus through any reasonable means and a level of sustainability to provide educational opportunities for environmental science. There is a multitude of ways that this process can be developed and this includes scale, level of technology, and location. The process of initiation is by institutional case basis. The climate, budget, and space play a role in its initiative. Initial campus activity to sustainably process organic waste can include, but is not limited to, mulching, in-vessel composting, vermicomposting, industrial composting, and off-site composting.
Whereas, Through the development of an open system of circular flow, waste management at California Community Colleges can avert thousands of tons of unnecessary waste from moving into landfills. Johnson County Community College in Kansas is one example of a impactful composting in-vessel system that collects 2,000 pounds of compost per week and thus averted 17 tons of waste to the landfill within the 6 months of their infrastructure's development. California's UC system operates mechanisms of composting to move toward their goal of achieving Zero Waste by 2020. In 2008, the University of California school system reached 50% of that goal and in 2012 they reached 75% of that goal. Average costs for their systems of transport to the landfill reached $72 a ton, while composting brought this cost down 33% at $48 dollars a ton. UCI buys back its mulching production to facilitate landscaping that is now less expensive to fertilize. UC Berkeley started implementation of composting throughout 9 different buildings in 2010 through funding by grants from the Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Sustainability, The Green Initiative Fund and the Alameda County Stop Waste program. These systems are examples of the future of infrastructure development.
Whereas, Composting is not a new methodology of sustainability, it is time that the California Community colleges ignite the process of encouraging the creation of their own centralized composting and mulching systems to divert waste from landfills. This reduces carbon emissions and energy use through distributing the mass quantities of compost/mulch production to farmers: with then lowers their need for chemical fertilizers that are extremely energy intensive to produce. Organic waste is a fuel and resource that would serve the interests of sustainability to ensure healthy environments for California's students and future by utilizing its potential.
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges strongly encourage the Associated Student Organizations of the California Community Colleges to facilitate the process implementing the sustainable practices of mulching and composting on their campuses.
Whereas Citations:
http://compostingcouncil.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/FR2YW_BMP.pdf
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Organics/CompostMulch/default.htm
http://www.green-technology.org/ccsummit-09/directory.html
http://www.macalester.edu/academics/environmentalstudies/students/projects/srseminar2010/compostingimplementation.pdf
http://www.usi.edu/recycle/solid-waste-landfill-facts
http://www.jccc.edu/sustainability/projects/composting/index.html
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/uc-increases-composting-efforts
Whereas, California Community Colleges, seek to embed means of efficient waste management through ensuring the transformation of useful inputs to outputs. It is essential to maintain a sense of stewardship on campus through any reasonable means and a level of sustainability to provide educational opportunities for environmental science. There is a multitude of ways that this process can be developed and this includes scale, level of technology, and location. The process of initiation is by institutional case basis. The climate, budget, and space play a role in its initiative. Initial campus activity to sustainably process organic waste can include, but is not limited to, mulching, in-vessel composting, vermicomposting, industrial composting, and off-site composting.
Whereas, Through the development of an open system of circular flow, waste management at California Community Colleges can avert thousands of tons of unnecessary waste from moving into landfills. Johnson County Community College in Kansas is one example of a impactful composting in-vessel system that collects 2,000 pounds of compost per week and thus averted 17 tons of waste to the landfill within the 6 months of their infrastructure's development. California's UC system operates mechanisms of composting to move toward their goal of achieving Zero Waste by 2020. In 2008, the University of California school system reached 50% of that goal and in 2012 they reached 75% of that goal. Average costs for their systems of transport to the landfill reached $72 a ton, while composting brought this cost down 33% at $48 dollars a ton. UCI buys back its mulching production to facilitate landscaping that is now less expensive to fertilize. UC Berkeley started implementation of composting throughout 9 different buildings in 2010 through funding by grants from the Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Sustainability, The Green Initiative Fund and the Alameda County Stop Waste program. These systems are examples of the future of infrastructure development.
Whereas, Composting is not a new methodology of sustainability, it is time that the California Community colleges ignite the process of encouraging the creation of their own centralized composting and mulching systems to divert waste from landfills. This reduces carbon emissions and energy use through distributing the mass quantities of compost/mulch production to farmers: with then lowers their need for chemical fertilizers that are extremely energy intensive to produce. Organic waste is a fuel and resource that would serve the interests of sustainability to ensure healthy environments for California's students and future by utilizing its potential.
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges strongly encourage the Associated Student Organizations of the California Community Colleges to facilitate the process implementing the sustainable practices of mulching and composting on their campuses.
Whereas Citations:
http://compostingcouncil.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/FR2YW_BMP.pdf
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Organics/CompostMulch/default.htm
http://www.green-technology.org/ccsummit-09/directory.html
http://www.macalester.edu/academics/environmentalstudies/students/projects/srseminar2010/compostingimplementation.pdf
http://www.usi.edu/recycle/solid-waste-landfill-facts
http://www.jccc.edu/sustainability/projects/composting/index.html
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/uc-increases-composting-efforts