Bruceo@email.sjsu.edu. Voice Mail 408/924-5350 · Fax 408/924-5477 ·
One Washington Square · San Jose, California 95192-0204
Establishing a California State University-based Recycling Information Network (RIN)
Overview of the Proposed RIN - slideshow
More than half of California's municipal solid waste is disposed in landfills and incinerators. The wasting of natural resources
can be avoided by diverting materials to the thousands of recycling and reuse businesses in the state. However, many communities
do not have the financial or physical resources to establish and maintain regional recycling hotlines or to prepare and update reuse
and recycling guides. The absence of data links between counties hamper efforts to identify and facilitate statewide markets for
processing regionally collected recyclables. The range of information and the credibility of data provided by the state-designated
hotline is inadequate since it lacks a comprehensive data collection and verification process and doesn't search for search for new
recycling and reuse businesses, relying instead on sources to provide it with the data it disseminates.
The availability and accuracy of information is critical for the success of municipal waste reduction and recycling programs. To
facilitate the success of reduce/reuse/ recycle and buying-recycled statewide, the Center for Development of Recycling at San Jose
State University (CDR) proposes to establish a college-based Recycling Information Network (RIN). To minimize costs, the network
will be comprised of regional centers located at state owned colleges and staffed by faculty-managed students earning
community-service learning credit. Data collected, verified, and managed at regional centers will be electronically linked into
a seamless information network unbounded by political jurisdictions or the lack of local funds. Information will be available
to residents and businesses on the Internet and by a person-staffed hotline. Calls to the statewide toll-free hotline will be
automatically forwarded to a regional RIN center where staff will refer callers to regional and/or statewide recycling and reuse
businesses and services, municipal programs, and/or sources of recycled-content products.
Based on its experience and multi-year success in serving Santa Clara County, The Center for Development of Recycling at San Jose
State University (CDR/SJSU) will share its operating procedures, database, and web site to facilitate the establishment and
coordination of the network.
Benefits of the RIN
The RIN will assist the state to meet its AB939 goals (50% waste diversion from disposal) and will provide multiple benefits to
residents, businesses, recycling and waste management industries, environmental program managers, local government, state-owned
colleges and their students, and the communities in which they serve. The network will serve regional Solid Waste Commissions
and local communities by collecting, maintaining, updating, and disseminating reduce/reuse/recycle and buy-recycled data in a
comprehensive, efficient, and cost-effective manner. Cities without resources to establish and continuously maintain a recycling
hotline and accompanying web site will be provided a no-cost, high-quality service. Cities with hotline services can maintain
their autonomy and have their information linked into the network, also at no-cost to them. These cost-savings will allow local
government to concentrate resources on integrated waste management (IWM) program implementation and management.
The RIN will improve the environmental employment pool by enabling students to blend educational opportunity with community-service
learning. Through public service, RIN students will be exposed to interacting with the public and to learn the data collection and
management skills required to become an effective environmental professional. The experience gained by students at CDR-SJSU has
enabled them to provide thousands of hours of community service and internships and to successfully compete for careers in government
and the IWM industry.
RIN Services
Regional Recycling Information Centers (RIC's) will comprise the RIN and collect and disseminate information on the location and
services of:
· Recycling Centers and Reuse/Resale/Donation Businesses and Non-Profits
· Municipal Recycling Programs
· Commercial Recycling Service Providers
· Statewide Markets for Recyclable Materials
· Recycling Information Resources
· Recycled-Content Product Sources
· The RIN will also:
· Serve as a clearinghouse for statewide Cal-EPA and CIWMB public education events
· Disseminate public service announcements to regional media
· Distribute Cal-EPA and CIWMB publications
· Cooperate and with local governments to support local recycling efforts
· Provide instant database updates
· Verify each database listing at least once annually to maintain accuracy
· Assist in the regional implementation of CALMAX
· Provide regional locations for CIWMB teleconferences
· Train future integrated waste management professionals (college students) to mitigate the shortage of academic programs available
in the IWM field
· Provide opportunities for college students to serve local communities, learn aspects of the emerging Integrated Waste Management
field while earning academic credit
· Provide quarterly reports to the CIWMB and regional Solid Waste Commissions
· Link data with sources approved by Cal-EPA, such as Earth's 911 and/or the CIWMB web site.
Funding/Budget
Funding for the network can be derived from Advanced Recycling Fees
(ARFs) currently in State budget reserves. These can include one or
more of the following funds: California Redemption Value (CRV),
[currently (1/2006) valued at $240 million], oil, tires, and/or
electronics. The California Performance Review has encouraged these
funds be used more effectively for the better use of Californians.
Opportunities will exist for corporate sponsorships and
foundation partnerships.
For More Information
A complete RIN proposal, budget, and implementation plan may be obtained from Bruce Olszewski at bruceo@email.sjsu.edu, or
(408) 924-5350.
The Center for Development of Recycling (CDR) at San Jose State University
CDR/SJSU is the recycling hotline for Santa Clara County. CDR serves the County's 1.8 million people and the 15 cities in which they live. CDR's mission is to create and share information to facilitate the diversion of materials from disposal, while training students to become IWM professionals. Students, managed by faculty, cost-effectively serve the community by earning academic credit in exchange for staffing the County Recycling Hotline and developing the county's recycling and reuse guides.
The County of Santa Clara makes no warranties, expressed or implied, and assumes no liability for information in the preceeding text.
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