Recyclables
All recyclable materials can be placed in any campus recycling container, including office bins.
- Mixed paper – without bindings, rubber bands or paper clips; staples don't need to be removed.
- Any type of paper, including envelopes, sticky notes, wrappers, newspaper, manila folders, boxboard (e.g., cracker or cereal boxes) and corrugated cardboard
- Magazines, phone books and paperbacks
- Empty containers
- Glass, steel and tin containers with lids removed
- Paperboard beverage containers
- Plastic bottles and containers with the #1-7 recycling symbol on the bottom
- Aluminum cans and clean foil
- Aerosol cans – containing no propellant
- Block Styrofoam
- Other recyclable materials
- Bubble wrap, packing peanuts and air packets: Bring them to the Sustainability Resource Center for free reuse by others!
- Building materials: Call (858) 534-2930 from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays.
- Chemicals
- Empty toner cartridges
- Office equipment and furniture.
- Gently used clothing: Friends of the International Center Resale Shop
When recycling:
- Keep all trash out of recycling containers.
- Flatten cans and plastic bottles whenever possible.
- Empty and flatten all cardboard boxes before placing them inside recycling containers. Do not leave boxes near bins, dumpsters or on loading docks.
Note: Before purging paper files or generating large amounts of paper or beverage containers, contact the Facilities Management Customer Relations help desk, (858) 534-2930, at least 48 hours in advance to get a large temporary recycling container.
Not Recyclable
- Carbon paper
- Wax- and plastic-coated paper
- Tissue or paper towels
- Paper or containers contaminated by food or other organic waste
- Plastic film
- Styrofoam packing peanuts, food clamshells, plates, cups, etc.
- Paint brushes, colored or wooden pencils
Printable Guides
- Residence Halls (PDF)
- Offices
- Labs
- Speciality Recycling at the SRC (PDF)
How to dispose of:
- Universal and electronic waste
- Batteries:
- Faculty/Staff
- Students living on campus can take batteries to their Residential Life Office for disposal.
- Ink and toner cartridges
- Pens, markers (dry erase, highlighters, etc.) with or without caps and mechanical pencils
Mail Services consolidates and ships used writing instruments to TerraCycle, where they are transformed into fun, innovative products. You can upcycle your used writing instruments in two ways:- Placing them into an Intercampus Mail envelope labeled "used pens."
- Drop them at one of these locations:
- Other items: Visit earth911.com.