Despite recent talks of putting a new recycling policy in place, the department of risk management and sustainability now says there are no plans to create a policy, according to David Moll assistant vice president of risk management and sustainability David Moll.

“I have no plans to draft a policy at this timeâ€Â Moll told The Collegian in an e-mail interview.

Unlike other California State University campuses that have an official recycling policy in place, California State University, Fresno does not have an official recycling policy, only a commitment.

California State University, Chico̢۪s official recycling policy was put into effect on Jan. 1, 2000. The policy says that Chico State will reduce and recycle all waste materials whenever possible. The policy also has a built-in waste reduction plan that is updated annually.

In comparison, Fresno State only abides by its commitment to sustainability.

Rather than an official policy, Moll said that a commitment is much more useful.

“[A commitment] is general and flexible, which by nature a policy is not,â€Â Moll said.

Fresno State does have a contract with the recycling agency Sunset Waste Systems.

For a labor and hauling charge, Sunset Waste removes all trash and recyclables on campus, and then credits Fresno State with 100 percent of the recycling income against those labor and hauling charges.
Moll believes that having a contract with Sunset Waste Systems is the most cost effective method for Fresno State at the moment.

“Recycling bins cost money to empty and maintain,â€Â Moll said. “We are just not set up to do that. Sunset is trained to sort, they can do it for next to nothing.â€Â

Jim Christensen, a Sunset Waste Systems sales representative said the process of recycling involves both man and machine.

“We co-mingle sort the garbage and recyclables,â€Â Christensen said. “We send the garbage through a state-of-the-art system that separates the garbage from the recyclables, as well as having full-time workers sort the garbage. We have 12 different departments.â€Â

Moll also said that Fresno State receives around $1,000 per month from the contract with Sunset Waste, which results in an annual revenue of approximately $12,000.

To go along with the Sunset Waste contract, Fresno State also has placed large dumpsters around campus for recycling purposes.

“Not many people know it, but we have big blue bins for recycling behind buildings on campus,â€Â Moll said. “These help negate Fresno State labor costs.â€Â

However, Moll did not provide specific information or records regarding expenditures.

Moll said that Fresno State is doing everything they can to recycle, but there just aren̢۪t the proper facilities on campus or the proper budget.

“Everything is based on the almighty power of the dollar,â€Â Moll said. “The bottom fell out of the recycling market. The only schools that make money are the ones that have student volunteers.â€Â