What can be recycled on campus?

Where are the recycling bins located?

How do I request a recycling bin for my room?

Why is it important to recycle?

Who picks up the recycling?

Contact Information

How to Get More Involved!

 

What can be recycled on campus?

MIXED PAPER	RECYCLE - White and colored paper, newspaper, magazines, paperboard (cereal boxes and other thin, non-corrugated cardboard), envelopes (window envelopes, paper clips, and staples are all OK). DO NOT RECYCLE WITH PAPER - Anything contaminated with food, tissue paper, paper towels, napkins, corrugated cardboard (packing boxes), anything coated in wax (e.g. orange juice cartons, ice cream cartons, milk cartons), carbon paper, the spiral of a spiral notebook.
ALUMINUM & TIN	RECYCLE - Rinsed soup/tuna fish cans, soft drink cans, aluminum foil. Empty and rinse all cans before recycling them so that we don't get pests. DO NOT RECYCLE - Aluminum or tin that is contaminated with food, liquids or trash.
PLASTIC	RECYCLE - All #1 or #2 plastics (the # is usually on the bottom of containers). This includes most soda bottles, plastic grocery bags, milk jugs, and shampoo bottles, etc. DO NOT RECYCLE - Any #3, #4, #5, #6 or #7 plastics. Cup lids and solo cups are usually not a #1 or #2 and therefore are not usually recyclable. No Rand to-go containers, Styrofoam, bags, and anything with food residue.
CARDBOARD	RECYCLE - Any corrugated cardboard (this is the thick cardboard made of two flat layers and a sandwiched spacing layer, e.g. packing boxes). DO NOT RECYCLE - Any cardboard that has been contaminated with food (e.g. pizza boxes).  Any other corrugated item, like corrugated plastic.  Packing materials (bubble wrap, peanuts).
GLASS*	Drop-off at the Peabody Recycling Center only.  Click here for more information.
PRINTER CARTRIDGES	Free ink cartridge recycling at VU!  Drop them off at the Commons main desk or the Sarratt main desk.
CFL'S	Compact fluorescent light bulbs can be recycled at 125 Bryan Building or 117 Peabody Maintenance Building.  For more information on these locations click here.
ELECTRONICS & APPLIANCES	Students can recycle broken TV's, refrigerators, electronics, computer systems and microwaves several times a year.  For more information about the next upcoming date, contact the recycling office by clicking here.
NOT ACCEPTED for recycling	Styrofoam, #3 - #7 plastics, food-contaminated items, garbage.

REMEMBER: Depositing items into the bin that you wish were a part of our program does not bring about change, it renders the contents of that bin un-recyclable. Please sort all items into their proper bins, and if you are unsure whether an item is recyclable, or if you would like to suggest an item for recycling, hang on to it and ask us for guidance at recycle@vanderbilt.edu or at (615) 34-EARTH (343-2784).

*GLASS RECYCLING is available as a drop-off service only at the Peabody Recycling Center.  Look for the three glass containers next to the Plastic/Aluminum dumpster. It's OK to co-mingle your glass colors - the vendor we use has an optical sorter to get the colors sorted later.  Click here for additional information about glass recycling at the Recycling Center.

Where are the recycling bins located?

Click here for a map that locates residential recycling bins!

Recycling bins are located outside of all residence halls and inside of academic, administrative, and student life buildings.

MAIN CAMPUS

RESIDENTIAL HALL

LOCATION

Kissam Quad	At the dumpsters between Mims & Reinke
Vandy/Barnard	Behind dumpster next to Kirkland Hall
Cole Hall	Next to dumpsters in the alley known as West Side Row
Carmichael East	First floor lobby and on the loading dock
Carmichael West	First floor lobby and on the loading dock
Highland Quad	In front of Mayfield Apartments
Morgan House	Building entrance
Lewis House	Building entrance
Chaffins	By the dumpsters

 

FRATERNITIES

Location 1	Behind Zeta Beta Tau house - Behind dumpsters
Location 2	Next to Lambda Chi Alpha house next to dumpster
Location 3	Behind NPHC Fraternities house

 

THE COMMONS

All Houses at The Commons have recycling adjacent to the dumpster closest to the House.

Recycling bins are located inside nearly all classroom buildings, Sarratt Student Center, the Student Life Center, campus libraries, Kirkland Hall, the Student Recreation Center, and many other campus buildings. Remember to look for a recycling bin wherever you are before throwing a recyclable away!

How do I request a recycling bin for my room?

Students that wish to have a recycling bin in their room may request one from their Area Maintenance Supervisor (Office of Housing and Residential Education).

 

Why is it important to recycle?

• In 2007, US residents produced approximately 4.6 pounds of waste per person per day.¹
• Recycling aluminum cans saves 95% of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source, bauxite.²
• Every ton of paper that is recovered saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space³ – that’s the same space as 667 gallons of milk!
• Americans used about 50 billion plastic water bottles in 2006. However, the U.S.'s recycling rate for plastic is only 23 percent, which means 38 billion water bottles — more than $1 billion worth of plastic — are wasted each year.⁴
• Including the energy used for pumping and processing, transportation, and refrigeration, the annual fossil fuel footprint of bottled water consumption in the United States is over 50 million barrels of oil equivalent. That’s enough oil to fuel 3 million cars for 1 year.⁵
• Recycling 1 aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for almost 4 hours or run your television for 3 hours.⁶
• Incinerating 10,000 tons of waste creates 1 job; landfilling 10,000 tons of waste creates 6 jobs; recycling 10,000 tons of waste creates 36 jobs.⁷
  

References:

¹U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2009. "Reduce and Reuse."

²U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2008. "Common Wastes & Materials: Aluminum."

³American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). 2008. "Pulp & Paper: Fun Facts."

⁴Fishman, C. 2007. "Message in a Bottle." Fast Company Magazine.

⁵Larsen, J. 2007. Earth Policy Institute. "BOTTLED WATER BOYCOTTS: Back-to-the-Tap Movement Gains Momentum."

⁶Cummings, L. 2007. Earth 911. "Facts About Aluminum Recycling."

⁷EPA, “Resource Conservation Challenge: Campaigning Against Waste,” EPA 530-F-02-033, 2002.

Who picks up the recycling?

Student workers pick up the recycling from the residential areas of campus.  Please recycle properly to help them stay on schedule.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about recycling, feel free to e-mail recycle@vanderbilt.edu.

How to Get More Involved!

If you are interested in becoming more involved with recycling, join SPEAR: Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Responsibility!

SPEAR works to reduce Vanderbilt's environmental impact, to raise awareness on campus of environmental issues such as resource use and energy efficiency, and to integrate sustainable practices into the habits and infrastructure of the University community.

SPEAR meetings are held biweekly.  For more information about meeting times, please visit the SPEAR web site!