On November 15, 2012, Mesa Community College students and volunteers will sort and analyze 24 hours worth of campus trash. The event will take place on the Clock Tower lawns on the Southern and Dobson campus (1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa).
The MCC campus community will watch on Wednesday how the trash piles up on the lawn. Beginning at 8 am on Thursday, students and volunteers will sort through each bag and by noon, the campus will witness how many recyclable items have gone into the trash.
MCC’s Dumpster Dive is held in conjunction with America Recycles Day, a nationally-recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling efforts in the US. Additionally, by collecting data and conducting a waste audit, MCC can identify ways to reduce waste, enhance recycling efforts and determine potential cost savings.
During Dumpster Dive last year, 222 total bags of trash were sorted. After the recyclables were pulled out, only 15 full bags of actual trash remained. Recyclables removed included cups, cans, bottles, cardboard, paper and other plastic food and packaging items.
According to the National Solid Waste Management Association, more than 80% of what is thrown away every day can be recycled; however the overall recycling rate in the US is only 34%.
Since the first Dumpster Dive in 2006, sustainability efforts have improved at MCC and the recycling efforts at the college have been significantly impacted.
About Mesa Community College
For more than forty-five years, Mesa Community College, has provided outstanding transfer, career and technical and service programs to the East Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona. Our nationally recognized student outcomes assessment program testifies to the faculty's commitment to more than 40,000 students who attend annually. Mesa Community College is one of ten colleges that comprise the Maricopa County Community Colleges District.
Please direct media inquiries to Angela Askey at angela.askey@mesacc.edu or Sally Mesarosh at sally.mesarosh@mesacc.edu or the Office of Institutional Advancement at 480-461-7445. IA website: www.mesacc.edu/ia.
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