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Campus Recycling Program

Vanderbilt has a 20-year history of recycling efforts to reduce waste going to landfills. In addition to traditional recycling programs for materials such as paper, plastic, cardboard, and glass, Vanderbilt has recycling programs for non-traditional materials like construction and demolition debris, toner cartridges, batteries, light bulbs, scrap metal, and electronics.

  • What Can Be Recycled?

    Plastic

    Acceptable:

    • All clean plastic containers (#1-7)

    Unacceptable:

    Containers contaminated with:

    • Food or liquid
    • Plastic bags
    • Plastic film
    • Lamination
    • Wrappers
    • Packing materials
    • Styrofoam

    Mixed Paper

    Acceptable

    • Office paper (white and colored; staples and paper clips are okay)
    • Newspaper
    • Magazines
    • Journals
    • One-ply cardboard/paperboard (cereal bozes, beverage boxes, tisse boxes, paper towel/bathroom paper rolls, and other thin, non-corrugated cardboard)
    • Envelopes (window envelopes, paper clips, and staples are all okay)
    • Coated paper (juice cartons, milk cartons, etc.)

    Unacceptable

    • Anything contaminated with food
    • Tissue paper
    • Paper towels
    • Napkins
    • Corrugated cardboard (packing boxes)
    • Laminated paper
    • Carbon paper
    • The spiral of a spiral notebook
    • Padded envelopes
    • Paper or Styrofoam cups
    • Phone books

    Aluminum and Tin

    Acceptable

    • Empty drink cans
    • Clean food cans
    • Aluminum foil
    • Aluminum food pans (pie tins, lasagna pans, etc.)

    Unacceptable

    • Aluminum or tin that is contaminated with food, liquids, or trash
    • Other types of metal items. 

    Glass (Drop-Off Only)

    Acceptable

    • ​Clean glass jars and bottles.

    Drop-off only at these locations. Look for the specified glass recycling containers. Any glass placed near or in residential and office recycling bins will not be recycled - it will be thrown away. 

    Unacceptable

    • Lids
    • Bags
    • Bulbs
    • Beakers
    • Windows
    • Any tempered glass
    • Mirrored glass

    Cardboard

    Acceptable

    • Any corrugated cardboard (this is the thick cardboard made of two flat layers and a sandwiched spacing layer, e.g. packing boxes)

    Unacceptable

    • Any cardboard that has been contaminated with food (e.g. pizza boxes)
    • Any other corrugated item, like corrugated plastic
    • Packing materials (bubble wrap, peanuts)
    • Wax or plastic-coated cardboard
  • Residential Recycling Locations

     

  • Earth-friendly Move Out

    With the hustle and bustle of finishing up the semester, moving out can be a hectic process of trying to fit a year’s worth of stuff into cars, suitcases, and storage. For all the stuff that doesn’t fit, Vanderbilt’s Earth Friendly Move Out provides opportunities to keep a large volume of material out of the landfill while helping others at the same time.

    Donate

    OHARE will have donation locations set up across campus benefiting a variety of non-profit charities. You can donate many items, including old textbooks, at any of these locations or post them on Vandy FreeSwap!

    Recycle

    In addition to donating, there are many convenient locations for recycling common items on campus.

    • Electronics: Personally-owned unusable or broken electronics, computers, and appliances may be dropped off in the specially designated areas outside of residence halls during move out. Be sure to erase or destroy any personal data! Any VU-owned computers, electronics, or appliances must follow the electronics disposal directions found in the specialized recycling section below. These cannot be placed in the temporary drop-off sites.
    • Batteries, ink/toner cartridges, CFL bulbs, and pens/mechanical pencils: Recycling is available year-round at various locations across campus. See a map of these recycling locations here.
    • Plastic, aluminum, paper, and cardboard: Recycling is provided for these materials near residence halls. See a map of these recycling locations here.
    • Glass: See a map of these recycling locations here.

    For more information about Earth Friendly Move Out, please visit the Waste and Recycling website, contact recycle@vanderbilt.edu, or call 343-2784 (E.ARTH on campus).

  • FAQs

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

    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 Residential Recycling page. Each residential room is eligible to have one recycling container for collecting items to take to the residential recycling stations. 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?

    Most of our campus buildings now have recycling containers at central locations. The 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? If you are in a University Central campus building, submit a work request through ReADY using the Recycling/Waste Services tile. For information concerning recycling in all other areas, contact the Recycling Manager at 343-2784.

    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?

    If you are in a University Central campus building, submit a work request through ReADY using the Recycling/Waste Services tile. For information concerning recycling in all other areas, contact the Recycling Manager at 343-2784.

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

    Submit a work request through ReADY using the Recycling/Waste Services tile.

    5. Why should I recycle?

    Fiscally, it costs the University more money to dispose of garbage/ton than recycling/ton. Also, the University receives rebates for 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!

    6. Where do I recycle _______?

    Specialized items recycling information, including batteries, CFLs, electronics, confidential papers, ink pens, and mechanical pencils, can be found above, under “Specialized Recycling”.

    7. Does recycling save energy?

    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)

    8. Who do I contact for chemical waste collection?

    For questions about chemical waste collection, visit the EHS website.

    9. I’m interested in volunteering with Recycling, how can I help out?

    There are many ways to get involved with recycling on Vanderbilt’s campus. Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Responsibility (SPEAR) coordinates recycling initiatives throughout the year including Cardboard Crew at Move-In, Game Day recycling at all home football games and Late Night Rites of Spring Recycling. If you are interested in getting involved email SPEAR.

    10. Can I recycle ________?

    Every recycling system has different rules about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable for recycling. If you have a question about whether or not a particular item is recyclable on campus you can refer to the "What can be recycled" list above. If you are still unsure, feel free to contact recycle@vanderbilt.edu or 34-EARTH (3-2784).

  • ReUse Surplus Program

    The Vanderbilt University ReUse Surplus Program manages unneeded items owned by Vanderbilt University departments, offices, and laboratories. ReUse Surplus cannot legally accept VUMC items, please contact VUMC Storage and Services at 615-936-4626 for instructions on how your surplus should be managed.

    Surplus

    All surplus property must follow Vanderbilt policies and procedures (See current Conflict of Interest and Commitment Policy).

    To send items to surplus, follow the steps below:

    Download the flowchart and surplus flyer here.

    1. If the surplus item is a biological safety cabinet (BSC), laboratories must follow the instructions on the VEHS Biological Safety Website to relocate or surplus a biological safety cabinet. Complete decontamination, then affix the decontamination report to the equipment prior to requesting surplus removal.
    2. If the surplus item is not a BSC but was previously used for the processing or holding of biological materials, laboratories must follow the instructions on the VEHS Biological Lab Equipment Release form. Complete decontamination, then affix the form to the equipment prior to requesting surplus removal.
    3. If the surplus item has stored data i.e. a desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, etc., consider removing or cleaning hard drives prior to requesting surplus removal. Any hard drives remaining are physically destroyed off-site by a contracted vendor.
    4. If the surplus item is capital equipment, a tracked asset, or has an asset tag (i.e. initial purchase value of $5,000 or more), a Property Transmittal Form (PTF) must be completed. Follow the directions on the form for submittal.
    5. If you use an outside moving company such as Alexander’s, please call 615-343-2784 or email recycle@vanderbilt.edu to schedule a delivery day and time as the new surplus location is not staffed throughout the workday. One hour notice is needed for deliveries to ensure ReUse Surplus staff can meet the moving truck.
    6. To request surplus removal, submit a work request through ReADY using the Recycling/Waste Services tile.

    Please contact the ReUse Surplus Program with questions at recycle@vanderbilt.edu or 615-343-2784 (34E.ARTH).

    Storage

    Central storage is not offered for departments due to space limitations on campus. A list of approved turnkey storage vendors with rates negotiated for VU that will collect your items, provide storage, and then deliver the items back to you when needed is below:

    Please contact the ReUse Surplus Program with questions at recycle@vanderbilt.edu or 615-343-2784 (34E.ARTH).