At Santa Monica College, Students Rethink Trash — And Their Careers

Victoria Charles has been getting students at Santa Monica College to think differently about waste for over a decade.

On the first day of class, she often gives them a warning: “You won’t be the Belle of the ball.” After learning how much waste the average person produces in a day and how this impacts the planet, they’ll feel compelled to live differently and speak up at social functions. And when they do, people won’t always like it. “You’re going to be the party pooper,” Charles cautions.

Charles teaches two of the four courses required to earn a certificate in Recycling and Resource Management at SMC. The coursework delves deep into waste — examining how culture, laws, and daily habits inform what ends up in landfills. Perhaps more importantly, students learn how waste can be prevented and repurposed.

In practice, this can involve small changes, Charles said. When she buys lunch on campus, for instance, she’s usually offered a plastic fork. Charles always declines it, even if it’s recyclable.

“Recycling is very energy intensive,” she explained. Her fork would have “to be shipped somewhere,” then “go through a lot of mechanical processing.” Instead, Charles keeps a set of reusable utensils in her office. In class, she and her students spend a lot of time discussing the need to use something for “less than five minutes and then toss it away.”

Because there are no prerequisites for the certificate, Charles’ students come from all walks of life. Some of them are fresh out of high school. Others already have higher ed degrees and are looking to chart a new path. But by the time they complete the coursework, all of them gain a new outlook on waste. Many of her students are using this knowledge to launch new careers.

Finding the right fit

Sofia Ratcovich began her higher ed journey at Santa Monica College in 2000, and it took her about five years to graduate.

“I kept changing my major,” she said. “I was like, ‘Maybe I want to be a singer, or maybe I want to look into acting.’” She still appreciates getting the chance to explore those interests.

Ratcovich earned associate degrees in biology and environmental studies, then transferred to Cal State Dominguez Hills for her bachelor’s degree.

At the time, she envisioned a career in environmental law. She was looking for a way to make a living while caring for the environment.

Throughout her undergraduate career, Ratcovich volunteered with several environmental groups. On Saturdays, she was often at the beach, leading group cleanups.

The ocean means a lot to her, Ratcovich said. She and her parents migrated to the U.S. from Mexico and, growing up, they didn’t have the means to take her to the movies or Disneyland. Instead, they spent a lot of time along the shore.

Through her volunteer work, Ratcovich met several people who encouraged her to sign up for the Recycling and Resource Management certificate at Santa Monica College. Eventually, she returned to the place where she began her higher ed journey.

The experience reinvigorated her. She said she loved being surrounded by students and faculty who also cared deeply about the planet. Plus, the classes helped her see that there were many other careers she could tap into.

Ultimately, Ratcovich went on to found Zero Waste Company, a sustainability consulting firm that advises companies on how to host events with minimal impact on the environment. The inspiration: a sustainability conference with unsustainable practices — coffee served in styrofoam cups with plastic stir sticks. Lunch served on styrofoam plates with plastic forks and cups. When it came time to discard her waste, she couldn’t find a recycling bin.

Ratcovich asked to speak with the conference’s organizers.

“I’ve been coming to this conference for years,” she told them. “I love your speakers, I love your program. But this really bothers me.”

When the organizers asked what she’d do differently, she had a list.

Since then, Ratcovich has provided guidance for major clients, including UCLA, Adidas, Red Bull, and the L.A. Times.

She offers practical advice, like wrapping cookies in paper sleeves, instead of plastic wrap. Ratcovich and her employees have also been known to comb through garbage bins, sorting out what can be recycled or composted.

“These things might seem miniscule,” she said. “But, in the end, if you change those things, you end up with food waste that can be composted, as opposed to material that just goes straight to landfill.”

For years, Ratcovich’s father wondered aloud about the sacrifices he’d made so that his daughter could devote herself to tallying trash. Then he saw the logo for her company in the newspaper.

Reinvention

Other students have also used Santa Monica’s program as a stepping stool, either for further study or to reinvent themselves.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in art history at Florida State University, Simone Paz completed the SMC program as a way to discern whether she wanted to pursue a master’s degree in environmental studies.

Years later, she recalled an assignment that required her to track everything she discarded.

“It was four days worth of gathering and collecting everything that you throw away, and just laying it all out there, cataloging it, photographing it,” she said. “It was really eye opening.”

Paz ultimately earned a master’s degree in environmental studies at Cal State Fullerton. Today, she’s preparing to launch her own startup, with a focus on sustainability in the arts.

Kyle Winterboer grew up on a farm in Iowa, then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in music performance at Cal State Long Beach. After earning his degree, he went to Santa Monica College with plans to go into health care.

“I was thinking about physical therapy for specific music injuries,” he said. “I got through my anatomy class and really was happy with that, mom was so glad.”

Through classmates, he heard about the sustainability courses at SMC. He enrolled for fun and fell in love. Like Ratcovich and Paz, he reveled in being surrounded by faculty and classmates who were enthusiastic about resolving waste issues. Outside of the classroom, the campus itself was an inspiration.

“I loved seeing the giant worm bins behind the cafeteria,” he said. The bins, which house hundreds of thousands of worms, convert about 500 pounds of food scraps into nutrient-rich soil each week, which is then used for landscaping on campus.

Winterboer went on to earn a master’s degree in public policy at UCLA, with a focus on food and sustainability studies. He’s now weighing whether to go to law school, earn a doctorate so he can continue doing more research — or both.