Recycling at Vanderbilt University

Recycling containers in Buttrick Hall
photo by Bob Wheaton

In 1990, Vanderbilt University began actively working on a program to reduce waste for the University community. Formally established in 1992, the Vanderbilt University recycling program has evolved and continues to grow through the active involvement and participation of its student body, staff and faculty.

The program was initially under the auspices of the Resource Conservation Advisory Committee, a forum for student leaders and Vanderbilt faculty and staff. In 2002, Vanderbilt Recycles was established as a student-led and managed organization. In 2004 the organization was renamed Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Recycling, and in 2008, changed the name again to Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Responsibility (SPEAR). SPEAR has partnered with both the Student Government Association (SGA) and the InterResidence Hall Association's (INTERHALL) environmental committees to actively promote existing environmental awareness programs and to develop and implement new initiatives.  SPEAR continues to work with student government in its current form, Vanderbilt Student Government (VSG).

In addition to the student-led programs, the Department of Plant Operations, which is operationally responsible for the University's Recycling Program, provides building recycling services and manages a community recycling initiative at the end of the academic year during student move-out.

Recycling Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

What We Recycle

Recycling Bin Locations

1. Where do I recycle if I live in residential housing?

2. Where do I recycle in a Vanderbilt administrative or academic building?

3. If I am in a University-owned building, what do I do if I want to get recycling started in my building, area or department?

4. What do I do if I work for the University, but the building in which I work is outside of the main university campus?

5. What happens to my recycling at VU?

6. How do I get to the Peabody Recycling Center on Appleton Drive?

7. What do I do when my recycling is overflowing in an academic/administrative building?

8. Is my shredding being recycled?

9. Why should I recycle?

10. What is currently being recycled at Vanderbilt University?

11. What do I do with my University Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL) that I'm using in my desk lamp?

12. What do I do if my CFL breaks?

13. Where and when can I recycle cardboard?

14. Where can I recycle glass?

15. What do I do if I have a large amount of recycling?

16. Where can I recycle small batteries at Vanderbilt?

17. How can I recycle my ink cartridges, cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's)?

18. Does recycling save energy?

1. Where do I recycle if I live in residential housing?
A: Residential housing recycling stations are located next to the solid waste containers (dumpsters) closest to your building. Each station has containers for recycling of plastic, aluminum, and paper, and some have cardboard. If your area does not have a cardboard recycling bin, you are welcome to leave it FLATTENED in the enclosed recycling area.  Recycled material is picked up from these locations and delivered to the university recycling center by student workers.  Please see the Student Residential Recycling Guide.  Each residential room is eligible to have one recycling container.  If you do not have a recycling container and would like one, please contact your Area Maintenance Supervisor.

2. Where do I recycle in a Vanderbilt administrative or academic building?
A: Most of our campus buildings now have some recycling containers at central locations. Most common locations are hallways, copy/mail rooms and break rooms.

3. If I am in a University-owned building, what do I do if I want to get recycling started in my building, area or department?
A: If it is a University Central campus building, contact Vanderbilt's Recycling Coordinator in Plant Operations at 343-2784 (34 EARTH).  If you are in VUMC, VCH, VSN, Stallworth, or other medical buildings, please see VUMC Recycling Program for more information.

4. What do I do if I work for the University, but the building in which I work is outside of the main university campus?
A: A number of Vanderbilt University organizations offices are located in buildings managed by Vanderbilt University Real Estate operations (VURE). Recycling services are coming to these buildings over time - several have already received services.  However, VURE does not manage 2525 West End, Lowes Vanderbilt Plaza or Medical Center facilities on West End Avenue. For recycling suggestions in those buildings, please contact the Vanderbilt Recycling Coordinator at 34-EARTH.

5. What happens to my recycling at VU?
A: The recycling is picked up from your building or the residential halls outdoor recycling locations, and taken to the recycling center on campus, located on Peabody campus, on Appleton Drive.  The recycling center consists of several containers for separated recycled material. From this location the recycling is picked up by Allied Waste and Smurfit-Stone and it is transported to the Smurfit-Stone recycling center in Nashville. The returns earned from this venture go back into paying for the recycling program.

6. How do I get to the Peabody Recycling Center on Appleton Drive?

A: From 21st Avenue South, take Edgehill Avenue east.  Pass both legs of Magnolia Circle, then turn right onto Appleton Drive, just before the VU Child Care center.  (If you've reached 18th Avenue South, you've gone too far.)  The recycling center is on Appleton just behind the Commons Center.  It is open for everyone in the VU community (Students and Employees) to use at all times.  A map to the Peabody Recycling Center on Appleton Drive is provided here.

You can also access an interactive map of Vanderbilt's campus to locate the Peabody Recycling Center.

7. What do I do when my recycling is overflowing in an academic/administrative building?
A: Buildings that are participating in the recycling program are scheduled for pick-up on a cyclic basis, based on the volume of recyclables they produce. Your building may already be scheduled for pick up on that day. If it is not, please call 34-EARTH and ask if your building is scheduled for recycling soon. You may ask for an extra pick up.

8. Is my shredding being recycled?
A: If you have shredding from your own shredder in your office, it will be recycled only when placed inside one of the designated paper recycling containers located in your building. If you use Shred-It, they recycle the shredded paper.

9. Why should I recycle?
A: Fiscally, it costs the University more money to dispose of garbage/ton than it does recycling/ton. Also, we are paid for our recyclable goods. Civically, it is a responsible way to keep the landfill in our area from filling up. Environmentally, it is an easy way to help protect the finite resources of our planet. Thanks for your efforts!

10. What is currently being recycled at Vanderbilt University?
A: See the What We Recycle list below for details on what is acceptable and non acceptable under each recyclable item: paper, cardboard, plastic, aluminum and glass.

11. What do I do with my University Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL) that I'm using in my desk lamp?

A: CFL's are a great energy saver, with one bulb lasting up to 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb!  Because CFL's contain mercury, they are hazardous when broken.  Therefore, it is especially important to not throw them away when they are at the end of their lifetime.  Take them to 125 Bryan Building, or 117 Peabody Maintenance and they will be recycled for you.  Due to concerns regarding breakage, do not send them in campus mail!  Please hand deliver.  Place the CFL in a sealed plastic bag or a Ziploc-type baggie prior to coming to the drop-off location, in the event that the bulb is dropped during delivery.  

12. What do I do if my CFL breaks?

A: The best thing to do if you break a CFL is to clean up the residue with a damp cloth or paper towel, place the debris and cloth/towel in a sealed plastic bag and then wash your hands.  Learn more about CFL clean-up from the Energy Star web page.

13. Where and when can I recycle cardboard?
A: Plant Operations is looking at ways to make cardboard recycling more comprehensive on campus with staffing and logistical constraints. Currently, we can offer the following: If you have saved a significant amount of cardboard, please call Services and Information Systems (SIS) at 343-9675 to submit a work order with your center and account number to have your cardboard removed and recycled. If you are a student and live in VU residence halls, the SPEAR Cardboard Crew will assist with Cardboard recycling during move-in, and student workers recycle the cardboard collected at the residence hall recycling locations throughout the year.  Finally, all VU students and employees are welcomed and encouraged to use the cardboard compacting dumpster at the Peabody Recycling Center at any time. Just toss in your flattened cardboard, and our staff will compact it for you throughout the day.

14. Where can I recycle glass?
A: Vanderbilt is now offering glass recycling at the Recycling Center! This is a drop off service only - there is no service to pick up your glass for you. 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. The City of Nashville also offers glass recycling on a drop off basis only.  For locations of city-owned drop-off centers that accept glass for recycling, click here.

15. What do I do if I have a large amount of recycling?
A:  If you have a large one-time generation of recyclable material (i.e. someone cleans out of their files, has years of old journals to get rid of, has several boxes of outdated brochures, etc.), your department  should "Create a Work Order Request" through the Plant Operations web site.  Just click on the big button that says "Work Request" or you can call 4-WORK (4-9675).   Be sure to include your center and account number.

Our recycling workers are on a route.  A little extra recycling will be picked up as a courtesy on our regular routes and shouldn't throw the workers off schedule.  Thank you for submitting a Work Order Request for large amounts of recyclables.

16. Where can I recycle small batteries on Vanderbilt's main campus?
A: Currently, you can take your small batteries to any one of the locations listed here:

**RESIDENCE HALL LOCATIONS ARE FOR RESIDENTS ONLY.**

This would include normal alkaline batteries such as AA, AAA, C,D, etc. as well as cell phone, laptop, pager, and radio batteries.  Large batteries from university-owned equipment (towmotors, vehicles, etc.) are considered regulated waste and should be collected by submitting a Waste Collection Form through Vanderbilt's normal waste collection process.  Please do not bring these to Bryan Building or Peabody Maintenance.

Vanderbilt Medical Center is working towards a small battery recycling program, and has a limited option at this time.  You may take your small batteries to the Apparatus Shop for recycling – it is located at B-0312 MCN.   Additionally, many local businesses will take batteries for free.  To find out the location closest to you, put your zip code and "batteries" into the search field at www.earth911.com. 

17.  How can I recycle my ink cartridges, cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's)?

A: VU recycles ink cartridges in partnerships with two groups that help children at Vanderbilt.  For more information about each, click here.

18. Does recycling save energy?
A: Yes!  Making aluminum from recycled cans requires 93% less energy than making aluminum from new minerals.  Newsprint made from old newspapers requires 46% less energy to make than newsprint made from wood.  Many people ask about the energy used by trucks to collect recyclables.  Compared to the energy saved when the recyclables are turned into new products, collection trucks use relatively little energy.  The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality estimates that industrial energy savings from residential curbside recyclables are 72 times greater than the energy used to collect them from our homes.

(Source: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Solid Waste Policy & Program Development)

Recycling Bin Locations

Recycling bins for paper, plastic and aluminum can be found throughout our Administrative and Academic buildings on campus.  The program is working to expand in each of these buildings.  If we have not reached you yet, please be patient with us as we work with a limited budget to get bins placed everywhere they are needed. 

Recycling bin locations for residence halls can be found by clicking here.

What We Recycle

Vanderbilt accepts five major items through the main campus recycling program: paper, cardboard*, plastic, aluminum, and glass**. See guide below for a description of acceptable and non acceptable items.

*Cardboard is currently only being collected by student volunteers for the residential areas.  A cardboard collection system for the rest of main campus is in the planning and pilot stages.  Any VU student or employee is welcome to use the Peabody Recycling Center to recycle their own area's cardboard.

**Glass is currently only being recycled at the Peabody Recycling Center on a drop-off basis. Any glass placed near or in residential or office recycling bins will not be recycled - it will be thrown away.  Click here for more information on glass recycling.

***One phone book in a recycling bin will not cause a problem.  More than one will tear the bag, and make the bag too difficult to life.  Click here for more information on phone book recycling.

For more information, please contact Vanderbilt's Recycling Coordinator at 34-EARTH (343-2784).