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UCSF presentation: diversion gains and workforce results from city grant
Summary
UCSF representatives told the commission a prior Department of the Environment grant supported back‑of‑house sorting and workforce placements and helped the campus reduce landfill tonnage and increase diversion toward nearly 75%; staff said the program diverted nearly 900 tons versus the 780‑ton application estimate.
UCSF staff reported to the Commission on the Environment that a prior Department of the Environment grant supported back‑of‑house sorting, increased diversion and workforce placements while generating data to guide future grantmaking.
Susan Bluestone, UCSF recycling and waste reduction coordinator, and Daniel Chow, recycling and waste reduction analyst, presented diversion graphs and said landfill tonnage at UCSF has fallen about 50 percent over six years while the institution’s diversion rate increased from about 60 percent to nearly 75 percent. The UCSF grant, awarded in the 2014–2015 cycle, had estimated diverting about 780 tons and, after implementation and sorting efforts, achieved roughly 892 tons diverted, the presenters said.
Chow described detailed daily sorting records used to calculate pounds sorted per staff hour and said the exercise helped UCSF identify that 72 percent of sorted garbage was compostable or recyclable—data that has since informed outreach and operational decisions. Presenters also noted UCSF hired graduates of the San Francisco Conservation Corps as sorters and staff, providing workforce pathways tied to the grant.
Commissioners praised the grant as a model for proof‑of‑concept projects and asked staff to package useful case study materials for other institutions. Alexa Kilty said the department will work to collect case studies and consider toolkits for replication.
