Recycling Program

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle at Trade

Municipal solid waste amounts to approximately 327 million tons a year in the United States. Americans continue to use more and more materials every year, and the population using these materials continues to rise as well, hence we are facing the problem of insufficient solid waste landfill capacity.

It is our duty to assist in an attempt to minimize this problem. However, a successful waste management program requires more than Grass cycling, baling cardboard boxes or recycling paper from a few office locations. It entails a wide and comprehensive group of activities geared towards reducing wasteful consumption practices. Put simply, an employee’s daily routine needs to incorporate waste reduction, reuse and recycling activities into their everyday routines.

Furniture re-utilization, online auction sales, tree chipping, and scrap metal recycling are among the many activities Trade-Tech currently performs.

We invite you to incorporate the three activities into your daily operations:

  • Reduce – limit the amount of rubbish you create.
  • Reuse – use items over again
  • Recycle – pass items through a cycle so that they can be converted into something new again, rather than end up in the landfill.

Paper

Every year, the United States consumes over 90 million tons of paper. This paper use is an average of nearly 700 pounds per person — over ten times what it was at the turn of the century.

  • Send Information Electronically. Use e-mail for forms and faxes. Think carefully before printing electronic information. Organize and save it so it is easy to look up. This way you won’t need to make hard copy files of important information.
  • Reduce Unwanted Mail. Contact mail senders to take your company’s name off their mailing list or mark unwanted first class mail “Refused, Return to Sender.”
  • Print with smaller fonts.

  • Use side two before you are through – Whenever feasible make double sided copies.
  • Collect and reuse One-Sided Paper. Encourage employees to save and reuse paper printed on only one side at their desks. Collect paper that has been printed on one side for reuse in copiers and fax machines. Also, use the one-sided paper to make scratch pads. Making ¼-, ½-, or full-size scratch pads is simple and easy—just put single-sided paper face up and secure with a paper clip or binder clip at the top!
  • Collect and Reuse Envelopes and File Folders. Encourage reuse of large envelopes and file folders by providing centrally located trays for their collection. Your office can buy mailing labels with the your return address and logo to place over old addresses on envelopes to facilitate their reuse. Always encourage employees to first reuse items such as large envelopes and file folders at their desk.

  • Let blue recycling bins serve their purpose – When reducing and reusing is not possible, then recycle.
  • You may deposit the following into the bins: Letterhead, envelopes, carbonless paper, colored paper, magazines, file folders, newspapers. If you are uncertain about which items can be recycled, please call our office at ext. 3612.

Cardboard

Did you know that when we recycle one metric ton of cardboard we save 3.5 cubic yards of landfill, save 17 thirty foot trees, save 7,000 gallons of water, save 380 gallons of oil, save 4100 kwh of energy and eliminate 60 pounds of air pollutants!

LATTC recycles approximately 25 tons of cardboard a year (the equivalent of 50,000 lbs.). We accomplish this by placing three-yard bins for cardboard collection strategically located points, culinary arts, bookstore, near the catering truck and receiving areas.

Nonetheless, facilities custodians collect from most buildings and place the cardboard in three cubic-yard dumpsters located near the facility. Cardboard is then transported onto the baler, baled and placed inside the recycling yard.

  • Do not include food or food scraps when placing corrugated cardboard in a recycling bin.Call
  • the Physical Plant Department at ext. 3612 to pick up large quantities of cardboard.

Scrap Metal

  • On the average LATTC recycles 40 tons (80,000 lbs.) of scrap metal a year.
  • Americans throw away enough iron and steel to continuously supply the nation’s automakers. (Source: www.epa.gov)

  • A vast majority of scrap metal on campus is generated from Automotive, Welding and Construction Technology Departments and its mostly comprised of conduit, iron and steel.
  • Metal from these departments is collected on three-yard bins and then transported to the recycling farm, where is then picked up and hauled by a local recycler.
  • If your department generates large amounts of metal, aluminum, iron, steel, etc. please contact us and we will deliver a bin.

Surplus Sales

That LATTC conducted its first surplus sale through Public auctions in the year 2001.

  • To find out about current district property sales log on to: www.publicsurplus.com
  • For further information about LATTC’s surplus sales program, call Brelon Bell at (213) 763-3635.

Useful Links

STATE

  • California Department of Conservation – provides services and information that promote environmental health, economic vitality, informed land-use decisions and sound management of our state’s natural resources.
  • California Integrated Waste Management Board – The Board is one of six agencies under the umbrella of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA). Its main responsibility is to manage California’s solid waste stream.
  • California Integrated Waste Management Board – Construction and Demolition recycling database.
  • Environmental Protection Agency – EPA leads the nation’s environmental science, research, education and assessment efforts.

RESOURCES