Dive Brief:

• Stanford University in California has changed its Deskside Recycling and Mini Trash Bin Program to increase recyclable collections from once a week to three times a week. Students who sign up for the Cardinal Green Office Program receive a 14-quart "deskside" recycling bin and mini trash bin.
• The change comes in response to the state's goal of 75% recycling by 2020.
• The university and waste management contractor, Peninsula Sanitary Services Inc., implemented the program in 2014. "[We] found that during waste audits, about 17% of our landfill waste was paper," said Moira Hafer from the Office of Sustainability.

Dive Insight:

The Deskside Recycling Program has distributed more than 6,000 bins in more than 70 buildings since 2014, making it convenient for students and staff to recycle. Stanford, like other universities, is committed to reducing waste in landfills. 

"Right now, our campus is at a 65% diversion rate, which means that 65% of the waste that is generated on the campus is being recycled or reused in some way," Hafer said. "Our diversion rate has improved by a dramatic 15% since 2000."

The university's goal is to implement the program throughout the campus by 2016.