Environmental Science students at Clover Park Technical College, in conjunction with Pierce County Solid Waste and LeMay Enterprises, conducted a "waste audit" yesterday at the Lakewood Campus.

"This gives students a truly hands-on view of municipal solid waste,"  said Kathy Smith, Environmental Science instructor. "It's an excellent demonstration of what we can do in our homes and businesses."

Municipal waste streams come from non-industrial businesses and homes. The students are helping the college determine how much recyclable material is being thrown away.

"Pierce County Solid Waste has a 25-year goal of reducing waste by 75 percent," said Bob Dieckmann, project coordinator with Pierce County Solid Waste. "Right now, every person discards about 4 1/3 pounds of waste daily. We want to reduce that number to just over a pound per person, per day by the year 2035."

Students weighed the amount of recycled material that was thrown away and the amount of garbage that can't be recycled. The goal is to show how much the college can recycle, and ultimately save landfill space while reducing its carbon footprint.