Recycling Guidelines
What to Recycle on Campus
At Connecticut College, you're part of a community that cares. Please recycle paper, cardboard, glass, metal and plastics.
NEW! Connecticut College has gone "single stream." To facilitate campus recycling, the College now collects commingled recyclable materials. That is, they all go in one bin instead of having to be separated.
What goes in recycling bins?
Acceptable materials are:
Paper: all paper except Tyvek® envelopes and other envelopes that cannot be torn; no used paper towels or tissues, please!
Cardboard: flattened and placed alongside the bin; no pizza rounds, please!
Glass: glass bottles and jars; no broken glass or light bulbs, please!
Metal: aluminum and steel (tin) cans including beverage and food cans, clean aluminum foil and clean aluminum take-out containers
Plastic: empty plastic beverage and other containers except for polystyrene (PS #6), also known as Styrofoam®; no plastic bags, please!
What do I do with empty ink cartridges from my printer?
Printer Ink Cartridges: Mail-back envelopes may be available with the purchase of an ink cartridge. Mailers are also available in the campus post office. Returns can also be made to Staples and other office supply stores.
What do I do with all those packing materials?
Bring them to the barrel in the campus post office mail room.
Packing peanuts: Bring polystyrene (Styrofoam® ) "peanuts" and other packing material to the mail room for reuse. Material can also be taken from the barrel for your needs.
How do I dispose of hazardous materials, and what is considered hazardous?
Special Handling & Disposal: Chemical products such as pesticides, solvents, used motor oil, or mercury fever thermometers cannot be disposed in the regular trash because of their hazardous properties. Ask your custodian how to properly dispose of these and other hazardous chemical materials or contact the Director of Environmental Health and Safety at x2252.
Mercury thermometers: Mercury is a toxic metal that poses significant health and environmental hazards. Please DO NOT bring mercury thermometers to school, but instead, use a mercury-free digital one. They are accurate and inexpensive. If you spill mercury, regardless of the source or location, immediately contact the Director of Environmental Health and Safety at x2252. The Director of EH&S will evaluate and clean up the spill. Go to: http://www.conncoll.edu/offices/ehs/7797.htm for further details.
Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs: CFLs contain a small amount of mercury. If a CFL breaks, before cleaning it up go to: http://www.conncoll.edu/offices/ehs/8021.htm and carefully follow the instructions. Also contact the Director of Environmental Health and Safety at x2252. If you wish to dispose of unbroken fluorescent light bulbs, give them to your custodian for proper disposal or contact Physical Plant.
Batteries that contain nickel, cadmium, silver, lead or lithium: Regular alkaline batteries can be disposed in the waste bin.
Batteries that do not belong in the trash and have special disposal requirements are: rechargeable batteries (from portable phones, IPods/MP3 players, digital cameras, etc.) and most small "button cell" batteries (from watches and calculators). Return these to electronics retailers such as Radio Shack or Best Buy. Alternatively, place the battery in a Ziploc® bag and give it to your custodian who will ensure that it is properly disposed of. Lead acid batteries are commonly found in automobiles. If your car battery dies, bring it to an automotive battery retailer for recycling. If any battery is damaged or leaking, contact EH&S at x-2252 for assistance.
Aerosol cans: Regardless of contents, or level of pressurization, place empty, partially empty or unwanted full aerosol cans next to the recycling bin. The custodian will collect the cans and take them to Physical Plant where they will be de-pressurized, drained and recycled.
Last Modified: Thursday, March 03, 2011 12:02 PM