Recycling In July of 1990, the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA) began their mandatory recycling program. Following suit, S.U. has collection bins in every building, and recycles about 2570 tons of paper, cardboard, and containers (glass/plastic/metal) each year. That’s about 32% of our waste, a rate very close to the national average.
Several sustainable initiatives are at very preliminary stages, including composting of organic materials from food preparation and serving areas and recycling of used carpet fibers from facility renovation projects. Sustainable initiatives often have the additional benefit of lower costs, avoided costs, and/or reduced emissions.
They also have several less obvious benefits, such as improved air quality, deferred utility infrastructure upgrades, maintenance labor savings, free publicity, and may be a sound recruiting tool.
The Purchasing Department’s Excess Property Disposal program encourages reuse of furniture and equipment among campus departments. This program provides a way to recycle most computer components.
Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA) www.OCRRA.org
Corrugated cardboard and pizza boxes (please flatten and stack next to a paper container)
Mixed recyclables:
Plastic #1 and #2, bottles and jugs only (please remove the cap; no tubs or trays)
Tin, steel, and aluminum food and beverage cans, plus aluminum foil
Glass bottles and jars
Gable topic cartons (such as orange juice cartons) and aseptic containers (such as soy milk and juice boxes)
What happens to the campus recyclables?
Items discarded in campus recycling bins go to the Waste Management Recycle America facility in Clay, about 9 miles away. Here, the items are processed and prepared for sale to manufacturers who can use the materials in new products.
What happens to the campus trash?
Trash from the SU campus goes to the Onondaga County Waste-to-Energy Facility in Jamesville, NY, about 5 miles away. Learn more about this facility at http://www.ocrra.org/trash_wte.asp. Your trash makes electricity.
I have seen University custodians dumping both trash and recyclables into one container. What’s going on?
Some custodians use one container with two bags inside. To clarify the collection procedure in your area, contact the Physical Plant Maintenance Zone for your building.
What is the University’s recycling rate?
It is currently calculated at 32% for basic mandatory recyclables (paper, cardboard, and cans/bottles). The University also recycles specialized items—including batteries, electronics, fluorescent light bulbs, scrap metal, compostable yard waste, and construction debris—which are not reflected in this rate.
Do SU dining centers compost food waste?
No; however, a pilot program ran from 2007-2008, and a new initiative is under review. For details, contact Steve Lloyd, Chief Sustainability Officer.
Is the University planning to add recycling receptacles outdoors and in parking garages?
This matter is under investigation.
The recycling toters/containers located next to the dumpsters by the South Campus housing units are overflowing—is someone ordering larger ones?
No. Maintenance staff have investigated and determined that these overflows occur only during a few peak times.
Why do I see mattresses in campus trash dumpsters?
They are too damaged to be reused. The University donates most of its old mattresses to charitable organizations. A relatively small number of mattresses go into the trash because they are too damaged to be suitable for donation. In 2008, the University donated roughly 500 mattresses and discarded about 100. Back to Top
How do I report a problem with a University recycling receptacle (damaged, missing, etc.)? Students: Contact FixIt at 443-4948 for receptacles in residence units. Alternately, complete an online service request at http://auxiliaryservices.syr.edu/fixit/request.html.
Employees: Work with the office manager or administrative assistant in your department to contact the Physical Plant Maintenance Zone for your building.
How do I get a recycling poster or instructions to post?
You are encouraged to post the recycling posters and instructions created by the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA), our local recycling authority. Options include:
Request a larger batch of posters directly from OCRRA via their “Contact Us” page at http://www.ocrra.org/contact.asp. (Please indicate your SU department.)
How do I request temporary recycling containers for a special event or office clean-out?
Contact the maintenance zone that provides service to the building or area. For a list of buildings and their zones, see the Physical Plant web site. For outdoor events, contact the Physical Plant Central Zone Grounds & Utilities group at 443-4984.
Note about office clean-outs: If large amounts of confidential paperwork will be discarded, the department should contact Materials Distribution to arrange for mass shredding. This shredded paper is also recycled. For clarification on what is considered confidential, see the list maintained by Information Technology and Services at http://its.syr.edu/security/remoteaccess/confidential_data.cfm.
Who do I call with general recycling questions or ideas for the campus program?
Contact the Sustainability Division at 443-9820 or sustain@syr.edu.
How do I recycle batteries on campus? Students: Drop them in the battery collection bucket in the main desk area of your residence hall. You can also find collection buckets in classroom buildings (see Employees, below).
Employees: There should be at least one battery collection bucket per floor of your building. Buckets are often located near hallway recycling receptacles. If there is no bucket on your floor, call the main number for the Environmental Health Office (EHO) at 443-4132.
How do I recycle empty printer/copier cartridges? SU offices:
If your vendor offers a mail-back program for empty cartridges, save the original carton and use the shipping label provided inside to return the cartridge to the vendor.
Corporate Express customers can give empty cartridges to the driver the next time an order is delivered.
Materials Distribution accepts cartridges of any type, regardless of whether or not they are purchased from Central Stores. Use the ship form at http://mdoos.syr.edu/shipform.asp to submit an online request for cartridge pickup. Include the number of cartridges in the description field. Cartridges must be in boxes.
At least one SU department has a staff member who voluntarily takes the empty inkjet cartridges that are collected, recycles them through http://www.empties4cash.com , and then donates the proceeds to an organization of her choosing.
Student, personal, or home equipment:
Some manufacturers, such as HP and Lexmark, offer free mail-back programs for empty cartridges. Check your packaging or the manufacturer’s web site for information.
Staples accepts all brands of ink and laser toner cartridges and offers an exchange-by-mail service.
OfficeMax accepts HP, Lexmark, and Dell brand ink and toner cartridges.
How do I recycle electronics (e-waste)? Equipment owned by the University: Contact the Purchasing Department for help in arranging to either: (a) re-sell working equipment through the Excess Property Disposal Program, or (b) recycle broken items through the University’s e-waste disposal contract.
Note: Equipment must be data-sanitized (hard drive wiped) by an information technology support person prior to sale or transfer. For more information, see the University policy on Data Removal from Computers and Portable Electronic Devices at http://supolicies.syr.edu/it/data_removal.htm.
Student, personal, or home equipment:
Cell phones:
SU’s R.A.P.E. Center collects old cell phones (any condition) for the Verizon HopeLine program, which benefits individuals affected by domestic violence.
Peripherals, such as chargers, for any of these items
Microwaves
Other similar items
How do I recycle CDs and DVDs? SU offices: Back Thru the Future is a company currently used by at least one SU office. You can mail an unlimited number of CDs/DVDs for free recycling (you pay postage). The CDs are shredded prior to recycling to ensure the physical destruction of sensitive data. To use this company, place the CDs/DVDs loose (no jewel cases, booklets, or packaging of any kind) in a box labeled “Free CD Recycling” and ship to:
Back Thru the Future Technology Disposal
150 Main Street
Ogdensburg, NJ 07439
Note: Booklets can be recycled with regular office paper. Jewel cases can be reused for new CDs.
How do I responsibly dispose of unwanted kitchen appliances? SU departments:
Clean appliances in good working condition: Contact the Purchasing Department’s Excess Property Manager, Penny Letcher, at 443-2288 to discuss selling your refrigerator, microwave, or other unwanted items through the Excess Property Disposal Program.
Microwave that is unsuitable for sale/reuse: Contact Penny Letcher (see above) to recycle through the University’s e-waste disposal contract.
Refrigerator or freezer that is unsuitable for sale/reuse: Contact the Physical Plant Maintenance Zone for your building to schedule a work order. An HVAC person will then remove/reclaim refrigerants; the remaining metal will be recycled as scrap. To satisfy EPA requirements for safe disposal of refrigerant-containing equipment, the Zone will complete an Intact Equipment Disposal form. This form documents the fact that the refrigerant has been removed.
Student, personal, or home appliances:
Donate items in good working condition:
Salvation Army accepts small appliances, such as coffeemakers and toaster ovens (no microwaves).
The Syracuse Habitat for Humanity ReStore accepts microwaves and large appliances, such as refrigerators, stoves, and dishwashers. Items must be clean and no more than 10 years old.
Dispose of items that cannot be donated:
Deliver large or small appliances to OCRRA’s Rock Cut Road Transfer Station. You will pay an extra fee for microwaves and items with refrigerants.
Have any items you cannot deliver yourself picked up, for a fee, by CSG (East Syracuse, 433-5032) or Charette Brothers (Syracuse, 469-1663).
How do I recycle compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)? On campus—students and employees:
Call the Environmental Health Office at 443-9132 (Hazardous Waste Operations Manager) or 443-4132 (main desk) to arrange a waste pickup.
Off campus:
Several hardware stores offer free CFL recycling:
How do I recycle books?
With the exception of spiral notebooks (binding removed) and phone books, neither hard nor soft cover books go into regular paper recycling bins. This is true both on campus and throughout Onondaga County. Here are some options for reuse and recycling:
Textbooks: The Syracuse University Bookstore will buy back many texts, regardless of where they were purchased. For more information, see http://bookstore.syr.edu/textbooks/buyback.php.
Other hard and soft cover books:
Donate books in good condition to a local nonprofit, such as a hospital or nursing home; the Salvation Army; or a library planning a book sale. It is a good idea to call first and clarify what the organization can accept, and when. Note that many organizations do not want textbooks.
Onondaga County residents--including SU offices and members of the campus community--can recycle a modest number of books, any condition, for free at the OCRRA Community Collection Center in East Syracuse by bringing the books during regular operating hours. Please separate hardbacks from paperbacks.
Onondaga County residents can recycle a larger volume of books (more than 10 medium-sized boxes), any condition, at the OCRRA Community Collection Center, but should contact OCRRA first to schedule a drop-off appointment. This option does not currently apply to SU offices.
When I recycle paper, do I have to remove staples and paper clips?
No; however, paper clips are reusable, so you will conserve more resources by removing them.
Can I compost the food waste from my office break room?
Yes. If everyone in your department or work area agrees, you can set up a small indoor worm bin. This type of composting is called vermicomposting. It is also well-suited to homes and kids’ science classrooms. A special type of worms can transform the food garbage into a soil amendment that can be used as a mulch or fertilizer for plants. For more information, see:
Periodic shoe drives at local shoe stores, schools, and places of worship—for example, The Finish Line on Erie Boulevard has participated in the Soles for Souls program (http://www.soles4souls.org)
Truly worn out (not usable) shoes can be recycled through the Nike Reuse-a-Shoe program (http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/). This program grinds up old shoes and makes them into athletic surfaces, like tracks and tennis courts. It accepts all brands of shoes. There is a drop-off location at The Nike Factory Store at the Waterloo Outlets, 655 Route 318, Suite 13, Waterloo, NY 13165,
315-539-4094.
Didn’t find the information you were looking for? Contact the Sustainability Division at 443-9820 or sustain@syr.edu. Your question will be answered individually and may be added to the FAQ.
