Sort it Out: Recycling Guidelines

sort it out logo

At Champlain College we strive to reduce waste in a variety of ways. We encourage our community to take the time to learn what goes where, and then sort it out. Our collective efforts are making a difference. Our main waste separation categories are Reuse, Recycling, Hazardous/Electronic waste recycling, Compost, and Trash. So please, know before you throw!

Sort it Out logo designed by Melissa Kennedy '11

Sort It Out Film Directed by Dwight Stannard '11

Where to find the proper bin

Trash & Recycling: Each building on campus contains various black or gray trash bins and blue recycling bins

Electronic Waste: Blue column containers found in Lakeside 2nd floor, Hauke entry, IDX Fireside Lounge, MIC entry, and Ireland entry

Compost: Green bins found in Hauke Conference Room, Jazzman's Cafe, Aiken Conference Room, MIC (Library), and the main compost chute in the Cafeteria

What to do with?

Click on the items below to find out more.

Reuse	Recycling	Hazardous Waste Recycling	Compost	Trash
Books	Cans & Bottles	Batteries	Food waste	Miscellaneous
Computers	Cardboard & Boxboard	Small Electronics/ "E-Waste"	Compostable service ware (plates, napkins, cups, etc.)
Packing Materials (Styrofoam peanuts, etc.)	Confidential/Shredded Paper	Fluorescent Bulbs
Surplus Furniture	Glass	Toner/Ink Cartridges
	Office paper, Newspapers and Magazines

Unsure? Contact us with your questions.

Reuse

Books

We collect books of all types (text books, popular reading, etc.) to be sent to Better World Books. There are collections at the end of each semester but books can also be sent to the Sustain Champlain office at any time during the year.

Computers

For college-owned equipment, the Information Systems Office and Helpdesk re-purpose older (but still functioning machines) either within the Champlain community or with a partnering organization. If the machine no longer functions, it will be recycled with Good Point Recycling. Personal computers can be taken to ReSource on Pine Street.

Packing Materials

Styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, etc. can be brought to the Mailroom in the basement of Cushing Hall to be reused.

Surplus Furniture

Replacing furniture or having something you no longer need? Put in a work order for Physical Plant to pick it up. They will bring it to their warehouse at 40 Sears Lane (also a great place to 'shop' if you are in need of something.)

Recycling

Champlain has an "All-in-One" Recycling program where primary recyclables (paper, plastic, glass, and tin) can all go into one bin. They are sorted out down the road at the Materials Recovery Facility. Check out this short film to see how it works. See this detailed poster for more information.

Cans & Bottles

The following food and beverage containers can be recycled in the bins throughout all buildings on campus.

PLEASE DO RECYCLE:

Glass bottles and jars - (food and beverage only; all colors)
Steel, metal or "tin" cans
Aluminum cans (soda, beer, etc)
Aluminum foil and pie plates
Plastic bottles and jugs (All Numbers)
Plastic Dairy tubs (yogurt, cottage cheese, margarine, etc.)
Clear plastic hinged "take out" containers
Hard Plastic Frozen-Food Trays
Plastic containers must be more than 2" on any 2 sides.
Plastic flower pots
Plastic lids larger than 2" in diameter
EMPTY ALL LIQUIDS
RINSE ALL ITEMS CLEAN
LABELS ARE OKAY

DO NOT PUT IN RECYCLE BIN:

Small plastic caps or lids
"Bio-degradable" or PLA-plastic
Glass light bulbs, dishes, ceramics or drinking glasses.
Plastic utensils, cups or plates
Plastic bags or "film" plastics
Styrofoam cups or plates.
Plastic toys or household items
Motor oil containers (discard as trash)

For more detailed guidelines, visit the CSWD "All in One" recycling specifications.

Cardboard & Boxboard

Cardboard boxes must be emptied and flattened. Office staff must place boxes next to the recycling bins inside buildings. Custodial staff will bring boxes to designated cardboard dumpsters located outside. BOXES MUST BE EMPTIED & FLATTENED.

PLEASE DO RECYCLE:

Corrugated cardboard - has the "wavy" layers inside
Pizza boxes are okay.
Soda or beer carton carriers.
6-pack, 12-pack or 24-pack boxes

PLEASE DO NOT RECYCLE:

Wax coated boxes, such as broccoli boxes.
"Yellow" cardboard
Pizza crust, food, napkins
Excessive packing tape or duct tape

Confidential/Shredded Paper

Departments must make their own arrangements for shredding confidential papers to safeguard the security of confidential information. If your office shreds your own paper on site, please leave shredded paper in clear plastic bags and place next to the recycling bins in your central recycling collection area. This helps to minimize mess and litter from the little bits of paper that tend to blow around outside and at the recycling facility. The shredded paper will get recycled.

Glass

Food-grade glass bottles and jars that held food or beverages can be recycled in the same bin along with plastic bottles and metal cans.

PLEASE DO RECYCLE:

Glass bottles (e.g., beer bottles, beverage, juice bottles)
Glass jars - (e.g., spaghetti sauce, peanut butter jars)
EMPTY ALL LIQUIDS AND FOODS
REMOVE CAPS AND LIDS
LABELS ARE OKAY

DO NOT RECYCLE:

Pyrex or high-temperature glass
Laboratory glass
Plate glass, mirror or window glass.
Light Bulbs

Office paper, Newspapers and Magazines

Many types of paper can be recycled together. Put these materials in any recycling bin found throughout all buildings on campus.

PLEASE DO RECYCLE:

Newspapers
Glossy Magazines and Catalogs
Computer/ Copier Paper
Writing Paper
Envelopes (Windows okay)
Opened "Junk Mail"
Brochures
Cereal Boxes/Gray Boxboard (remove liners)
6-pack, 12-pack or 24-pack soda and beer carton carriers
Manila Folders
Staples are Okay
Shredded Paper is Okay- please seal in plastic bag

DO NOT PUT IN RECYCLE BINS:

Frozen or refrigerated food boxes
Tissues, Kleenex or paper towels
Photographs or resin-coated papers
NCR or "carbonless" paper
Plastic transparencies or film
Food or candy wrappers
Paper cups, plates or any paper that has come in direct contact with food or the human body!
Rubberbands or large metal clips
Pendaflex Folders
Carbon Paper

Hazardous Waste Recycling

Batteries

Batteries are found in numerous electronic devices, cell phones, MP3 players, laptops, computers, watches, cameras, etc. They come in many shapes and sizes but the most common are AAA, AA, C and D cells. Batteries may contain any of several heavy metals, including mercury, lead, nickel, zinc or cadmium. They may also include corrosive liquids (sulfuric acid) or reactive metals (lithium).
For this reason, batteries on the Champlain campus should not be put in the regular trash or recycle bins. Please place batteries in the blue E-Waste Collection tubes found in IDX, MIC, Hauke, Ireland, and Lakeside.

Small Electronics/"E-Waste"

"E-waste" is used to describe all the spent supplies and obsolete accessories associated with computers and electronics. E-Waste includes pretty much everything but the computer itself: storage devices, CDs, floppy disks, hard drives, Zip disks, cell phones, i-pods, empty print cartridges, cables, cords, parts of circuit boards, video tapes, PDAs, etc.

Please don't throw your E-Waste in the regular garbage or recycling bins. Keep these materials separate so we can recycle valuable resources, keep hazardous materials out of the landfill and ensure protection of privacy since the recycling company shreds the electronic media we send them. Please place batteries in the blue E-Waste Collection tubes found in IDX, MIC, Hauke, Ireland, and Lakeside.

See the e-waste poster.

Fluorescent Bulbs

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs) contain mercury. If your bulb no longer works, wrap bulbs in a manner to minimize risk of breakage and put in a work order to have Physical Plant pick it up. For students in the res halls: have your RA contact Physical Plant to have it picked up.

If a fluorescent light bulb breaks, do not use a vacuum cleaner to clean it up. Wear disposable rubber gloves, if available. Carefully scoop up the fragments and the mercury (white) powder with stiff paper or cardboard. Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipe. Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and the powder. Place all parts of the broken fluorescent bulb, towels and tape in a clear plastic bag. Wash your hands afterwards.

Toner/Ink Cartridges

If you have toner or ink cartridges that you cannot send back to be refilled (often an option for many of our large copiers) you can either drop them off in Skiff 201 or bring them to Staples on Rt. 2/Main Street to be recycled. Learn more information about the recycling program at Staples.

Compost

Composting is a process that takes organic waste, such as food scraps and yard waste, and turns it into a nutrient-rich soil. At Champlain College, food waste is collected each day and taken to a large scale composting site, operated by Intervale Compost Products and Chittenden Solid Waste District for composting.

Food Waste

Food waste is collected in the following locations: the Cafeteria, Jazzman's cafe, MIC (Library), Aiken Conference Room, IDX Fireside Lounge, Hauke Conference Room.

DO Compost	Do NOT Compost
Fruit & Vegetable Peels Any Food Leftovers Coffee Grinds/Tea Bags Meat Scraps & Bones Dairy & Cheese Products Noodles & Pasta Paper napkins Compostable plates and cups	Dishes or Silverware Coffee Creamers or Stirrers Styrofoam Cups Plastic Bags or Saran Wrap Food Wrappers

Compostable Service Ware

At some of our catered events we use plates and cups that can be composted, in addition to any food waste. The compostable cups will have a #7 on the bottom of the cup. If it is a #6, it is real plastic, and should be placed in a recycling bin. Compost is collected in the following locations: the Cafeteria, Jazzman's cafe, MIC (Library), Aiken Conference Room, IDX Fireside Lounge, Hauke Conference Room.

Trash

Miscellaneous

If you are reading this far, thank you. As for what gets sent to the landfill (located in Coventry, VT), it is basically anything that cannot be reused, recycled, or composted (from your candy bar wrapper to bubblegum to plastic wrap to styrofoam). There are a number of items that are not on the lists above that can be reused, recycled, or composted -- so contact us if you have a question, or check out the extensive A-Z list on the CSWD website. Our goal is to really limit what we send to that big hole in the ground!

Thanks to the UVM Recycling Office for some content.