Guidelines for Recycling
SingleStream: Paper, Bottles, Cans & Boxes
What to Recycle:
Includes these items all mixed together in the same barrels or bags as cans, bottles and boxes:
- Office Paper
- Stationery
- Newspaper and Magazines
- Colored Paper
- "Junk Mail"
- Catalogs
- Phone Books
- Paperback Books
- Hardback Books
- Pizza boxes
- Paper hot cups and sleeves
- Lids to hot cups
- Paper plates, bowls and clamshells
(Staples, Clips, Tape, Window Envelopes OK)
How to Prepare:
Set into "Recycling" Barrel, loose or in clear plastic bag.
Restrictions:
- Excludes Plastic-wrapped Paper
- Excludes Loose Plastics
- Excludes Tissues, napkins & personal hygiene materials
- Excludes Carbon Paper
Cardboard
What to Recycle:
Includes these items flattened and mixed together with papers, bottles and cans in the same barrels or bags:
- Flat single-layer paperboard
- Multi-layered, wavy-core corrugated cardboard
(Tape, Staples and Labels OK)
How to Prepare:
Break down flat by peeling apart corner glue seam or cutting tape. Set in or next to " Recycling " barrel or compactor or stack loose nearby.
Restrictions:
- Excludes Waxed Cardboard
- Excludes Plastic Liners
- Excludes Foam Peanuts
- Excludes Polystyrene End Caps
Cans & Bottles
What to Recycle:
Includes these items, mixed with papers and boxes in the same containers or bags:
- Cans, bottles, jugs and jars made of glass, metal or plastic
- Clean Aluminum Foil
- Laundry Detergent Jugs
- Juice Boxes, Milk Cartons, and Aseptic Packaging
- Deli containers and “clamshells”, plastic plates and cups
How to Prepare:
Drain any beverage or food residue and place with caps in “Recycling” barrel.
Restrictions:
- Excludes Glass Mirrors
- Excludes China Plates or Cups
- Excludes Light Bulbs
- Excludes Window Pane Glass
- Excludes Laboratory Glass
- Excludes Metal items other than cans or foils
- Excludes Plastic Shopping Bags
- Excludes Foams
- Excludes Films
- Excludes Non-container plastics
Computers and Electronics
For more information about Computers & Electronics, see our
“Computers and Electronics Recycling Policy” here.
Larger items (“two hands needed”), What to Recycle:
Includes
- Desktop and laptop computers, including CPU’s, keyboards, CRT and flatscreen monitors, UPS batteries, mice, chargers, cords, plugs and adapters
- Any pieces, parts, fragments or shards that were once part of a computer
- Printers, copiers, scanners & fax machines
- Automotive and other lead-acid batteries
- Sealed lead gel emergency lighting batteries
- Fire annunciator panels
- Lighting ballasts, PCB and non-PCB
How to Prepare (smaller handheld items and e-media):
Delete all sensitive data by following manufacturers’ instructions. For residences, place in white “Batteries Plus Buckets and Boxes” in all FAS Houses and Dorms. For Graduate Schools, consult your local Building Manager. For academic and administrative offices, contact your Building Manager. For smaller quantities, bag up and send to Harvard Recycling via inter-office mail. Harvard Recycling will follow best and highest end use procedures to reuse handheld equipment, phones and batteries if possible and if not, recycle in compliance with R2-certified electronics recyclers. Ask us about getting a free battery tester for your building so you can determine if your batteries still have a useful charge. All batteries must be bagged up or taped to prevent short circuiting. Shred or erase all confidential data. Harvard Recycling does not shred e-media or other data storage devices before reuse or recycling.
Includes
- Mobile phones, pagers & chargers
- 2-way radios and chargers
- Personal digital assistants and chargers
- MP3 players and chargers
- Electronic tablets and chargers
- Calculators
- Headphones, cords, plugs and all other audio accessories
- Cordless power tools and appliances
- Digital cameras
- All other electronic handheld devices or accessories
- Inkjet cartridges
- Laser toner cartridges
- Rechargeable batteries
- Alkaline batteries
- Lithium batteries
- Laptop batteries
- All e-media and all cases including CD’s, DVD’s, audiotapes, videotapes, microfiche, photographic slides, thumb drives, external hard drives)
- Compact fluorescent lamps (bagged up to prevent spillage of mercury)
- Straight or shaped tubes, properly boxed and labeled “Universal Waste” (contact Harvard Recycling if you need boxes or labels)
- Metal halide lamps (bagged up)
Clothing, furniture, cosmetics, books, non-perishable food, office supplies, towels, linens, and all other reusables:
How to Prepare:
Place dry reusable goods into “Donation Station” boxes. Tie shoes together. Ask your building manager the closest location to your building.
Restrictions:
- Excludes wet or visibly dirty clothing.
Contact Us
For information concerning Recycling and Solid Waste Removal, contact Rob Gogan, Supervisor of Recycling and Solid Waste Removal at 617-495-3042, or email rob_gogan at harvard dot edu
