About R4 Recycling

Mission | Background | Diversion Rate | Responsibilities | Environmental Benefits | 4 R's | Office Information

R4 entrance from La Rue Road

R4 Mission "The R4 Program is committed to the delivery of effective, courteous, innovative, and responsive waste reduction and recycling services to the UC Davis Campus. We serve to establish a supportive and informational role to facilitate recycling between the various campus units, other universities and colleges and local, state, and federal agencies to reach current and future goals. In addition, the R4 Program prepares students to integrate the ideas and practices of waste management with the environmental foundation they receive on Campus." Back to top R4 Background The R4 Program was created in response to the 1989 Integrated Waste Management Act (AB939) which requires state, county and local governments to divert at least 50% of their waste from their landfills by the year 2000. While not legally obligated to comply with AB939, UC Davis, as a responsible employer, educational institution, and good neighbor, has made a commitment to the act in accordance with the spirit and intent of AB939. Through the R4 Program, UC Davis has started a variety of effective diversion programs. Back to top Diversion Rates Throughout the years, R4 Recycling has kept detailed records of the diversion rates of the University. Click here to see our diversion rates from 1996 - 2007. Back to top

The R4 Recycling Program is responsible for:

• Effective coordination of campus-wide recycling collection efforts between the Solid Waste Division, Custodial Services, Grounds Division, and various other campus entities.
• Educating students, faculty, and staff about the rewards of actively participating in local recycling programs.
• Working collaboratively with campus, city and county recycling entities to seek methods to improve existing programs.
• Developing new initiatives to promote greater recycling involvement throughout the campus community.

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• Reduce: Waste prevention, or "source reduction," means consuming and throwing away less. Source reduction actually prevents the generation of waste in the first place, so it is the most preferred method of waste management and goes a long way toward protecting the environment. Click here for ways you can reduce your waste!
• Reuse: Reusing items -- by repairing them, donating them to charity and community groups, or selling them -- also reduces waste. Reusing products, when possible, is even better than recycling because the item does not need to be reprocessed before it can be used again. Click here for ways you can support UC Davis in reusing items!
• Recycle: Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. In addition, it generates a host of environmental, financial, and social benefits. Materials like glass, metal, plastics, and paper are collected, separated and sent to facilities that can process them into new materials or products. Click here for more information on recycling on the UC Davis campus!
• Rebuy: In order to make recycling economically feasible, we must buy recycled products and packaging. When we buy recycled products, we create an economic incentive for recyclable materials to be collected, manufactured, and marketed as new products. Remember, you're not recycling unless you're rebuying. Click here on more information on rebuying!

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Many people think that recycling is only beneficial because the materials are being reused, but recycling also has environmental benefits. Recycling can help conserve energy and pollution associated with the production of the new version of a recycled product. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "Recycling has benefits such as greenhouse gas reduction and energy conservation.”

Click here to see the environmental benefits which resulted from this year’s recycling.

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Office Information

The R4 Office operates between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm and can be reached by
phone (530) 752-7456 or fax (530) 754-9895. The office is managed by Lin King (ltking@ucdavis.edu), a UC Davis alumnus himself.

View a map of our location (opens in new window).

The office is located in Surge III, room 1342.

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