De Anza is a distinguished school for many great reasons, one being its distinguished role in innovative green education. Student awareness is on displayed through the environmental studies and science programs and the founding concept of the Kirsch Center.

We know what the school’s policies are for smoking, recycling and small waste, even if all of us don’t abide; walking around campus we see the recycling and trash cans accompanied by an endless sea of cigarette butts and the occasional litter most likely dealt by the hands of a student. But large waste — all of the furniture, equipment or electronics utilized by the school — is more obscure. Do they go off to rot in a landfill somewhere, or do we try to ensure that they’re recycled?

The fate of our decommissioned furniture and equipment is actually heavily regulated. There isn’t much dirt to uncover about it. The Foothill-De Anza College  District’s method for managing waste, in the instance when the college is in need of a new computer for example, is heavily monitored.

All computers are given a five-year life span. Once a computer has hit that age Educational Technology Services will schedule a replacement. What becomes of the old computer? If it is deemed useless or broken it becomes e-waste and goes to live in that great mainframe in the sky. No, ETS will notify the Board of Trustees and request approval to surplus the computer.

But what is to become of a computer that is deemed useful? I’m sure you’re incredibly concerned and feel passionate about the whereabouts of De Anza’s beloved computers! Well, don’t you fret. Those found still operable are donated to the Occupational Training Institute where they will be refurbished if necessary and placed back into the hands of eligible students free of charge. There is an entire bureaucratic process to follow just to rid the school of surplus matter rather than letting gym equipment rot in the rain.

According to Donna Jones-Dulin, associate vice president of the finance and educational resources department for De Anza, when the school is on the prowl for new classroom furniture the school “generally seeks out furniture with recycled content, that is sustainably manufactured, has a Greenguard certification, and/or meets California’s High Performance Schools Section 001350.” Jones-Dulin also noted that although the school seeks out the criteria, not all furniture meets the requirement, but most meets “one or more of the above.”

I don’t know about all of you passionate recyclers and concerned students, but I am quite relieved to discover how much our school pays attention to its surplus equipment disposal. It’s great to know that the school cares, and that we are making conscious choices to ensure that De Anza College is not blatantly contributing to the destruction of the environment.