Custodial Services

The Custodial Services unit executes a low environmental impact green cleaning program that was recently awarded "Best New Program for Higher Education" by The American School & University Magazine. We utilize green seal certified cleaning products at no additional cost to the campus. View your buildings custodial cleaning schedule.

List of Services

  • Routine cleaning in classrooms, offices, laboratories, conference rooms, and public areas
  • Cleaning and disinfecting of restrooms
  • Preventative maintenance of hard floors and carpeted areas
  • Unlocking and locking of building entrances and general assignment classrooms
  • Recharge services include:
    • Floor waxing, carpet cleaning, and additional cleaning in occupied space
    • Interior and exterior window washing
    • Paper products and trash cans outside of restrooms areas
    • Pressure washing

Standard Infection Control Practices in State Supported Spaces

Routine cleaning includes

  • Cleaning frequently touched surfaces that are touched by many different people, light switches; handrails, elevator buttons and door handles
  • Dusting and wet mopping or auto scrubbing hard surface floors
  • Vacuuming entry ways and high traffic areas
  • Removing trash
  • Cleaning rest rooms
  • Cleaning spills

Recycling & Refuse

UCI has committed itself to achieving the UCOP goal of Zero Waste. Zero Waste allows us to minimize the material going into landfill and maximize the materials that are recycled and composted, leading to a lower carbon footprint and a cleaner environment. UCOP has defined Zero Waste as diverting 90% or more of campus solid waste from landfill - making the actual waste from the university as close to zero as possible. We have certified 5 buildings as Zero Waste facilities, which means that for these buildings, achieving at least a 90% diversion rate is a way of doing business all day every day.

Zero Waste compost sign preview
Compost Sign
Zero Waste landfill sign preview
Landfill Sign
Zero Waste recycle sign 1 preview
Recycle Sign (1)
Zero Waste recycle sign 2 preview
Recycle Sign (2)

Frequently Asked Questions

If it’s clean or dry, most materials could be recycled: plastic, metal, paper, cardboard and glass If it contains food, just clean it out and it can be recycled. If it contains liquid, just pour it out and it can be recycled. It’s your choice; make the green one!

On campus, we can recycle a lot more items than most places off campus. For instance, you can’t recycle milk cartons off campus, because it has a waxy outside, but you can recycle them on campus. All of campus housing is subject to UCI recycling rules.

UCI is a leader in sustainable waste management. In 2004, the campus only diverted 14% of the waste from landfill; in 2016, we diverted 81% through reducing, reusing, recycling, donating and composting. This means that only 19% of all campus waste goes to landfill.

The commingled bin is used to recycle all recyclable items such as plastic, glass, metals and paper. In 2016, we converted all of our “mixed paper only” bins to commingled recycling bins which consists of over 10,000 bins from offices and copy rooms.

Everything can be recycled as long as it is both clean and dry!

  • Milk carton and pizza boxes: Yes they can at UCI!
  • Plastic food containers: Yes just wipe off the food that is inside them.
  • Egg cartons: Yes, if they are made of paper.
  • Starbucks cups: Yes, once the drink is dumped out, you can put into commingle recycling bin.

Walk a bit further and look for the blue recycling bin. Recycling and landfill bins are placed almost everywhere on campus.

On UCI campus, the blue lid bins are ones for recycling. Remember, to be green, use blue.

You can call Facilities Management Service Desk at 949-824-5444.

Food waste is almost all compostable. This includes paper napkins, paper plates, coffee grounds, and coffee filters. Remember, whatever comes from nature goes back into nature.

Yes, food waste scraps are collected in the loading docks of Student Center, Aldrich Hall, and all dining facilities. Exterior compost collection bins are also in all on-campus housing communities. Each housing community received a compost bin to allow student residents to participate in the food composting program.

You may also use composting bins for your dorm or office, however, UCI does not service these personal bins. You need to take the material out to the exterior compost bins yourself. Exterior compost bins are the only bins Facilities Management empties on a regular basis.

For more information about getting a bin and how to maintain it, please contact the FM Service Desk (949-824-5444; fm-servicedesk@uci.edu).

Reusable bottles are a much more sustainable option than plastic bottles—it takes 3 liters of water to produce just 1 liter of bottled water!

Annually, UCI’s bottle filling stations save an average of 1.3 million plastic bottles! This means that 504,000 gallons of water is saved, and 37 tons of plastic is avoided!

Recycling is the Earth-friendly choice. Here at UCI, we save an average of 13,000 metric tons of material each year through our recycling program. Recycling is an integral component towards achieving sustainability!

Zero Waste Events

UCI zero waste logo

At UCI, Facilities Management coordinates with event planners to have as many Zero Waste Events as possible, which are events that divert 90% or more of waste from landfills through recycling and composting.