Welcome to the UNCC Recycles website. Started by students in 1990, recycling began with a can collection program. Not long afterwards, Witherspoon Hall became the first residence hall to take part. In 15 years we have grown to 14 employees and now recycle over 40 items. We also operate a composting program, an award winning construction and demolition recycling / re-use program, and environmental education on and off campus.
Partners
How to recycle
Click Here for a quick guide on what we recycle
Click here to find out where you can recycle electronics
Click here for off campus apartment recycling
Live on campus Choose one Work on Campus
Housing and Residence Life Recycling page
Recycling is easy, just drop it in the bin. Whether you live or work on campus, this page discusses what you can recycle and where to recycle it. Please choose one of the menus above to get you there.
Background
The UNC Charlotte Recycling Department was established in 1992. Over the years, we have grown to 14 employees and collect over 40 items. In FY 2006 - 2007, we collected over 1.3 million pounds of recyclable materials and 1.5 million pounds of construction and demolition materials. Our diversion rate is 32% meaning that roughly 1/3rd of all waste is diverted to a recycling facility or special construction and demolition landfill.
Why Recycle?
Choosing to recycle is a win for all involved unless maybe you are the owner of a landfill. Recycling at UNC Charlotte serves three main purposes.
1. It's good for the environment - By recycling, materials are sent back to market to be cleaned and or melted down to make new materials. This allows us to conserve natural resources; reduce the energy used to mine for the resources, and reduce our impact on local landfills. For the record, the Cabarrus County landfill is the largest in North Carolina.
2. It saves the university money - UNC Charlotte pays contractors to haul our waste...everyday. The local landfills charge money for dumping our waste. By reducing the amount of waste that goes to the landfill, our bill is reduces. In turn, we pay no fee for dumping our recyclables. So there you see. It's simple, but there's more. We receive a little (literally but it's better than nothing) money for our cardboard, paper, and cans.
3. Recycling plays a big part in the economy - If you throw a plastic bottle away, what do you think happens? Exactly. Nothing but take up space. If you recycle a plastic bottle, it can be sent to market where it can become carpet, clothing, or maybe a new bottle. Many manufacturers rely on this material to make their products, and possibly make their products cheaper. Not to mention, we have over 500 recycling businesses in North Carolina.
As you can see, just dropping it in the bin means so much more.
Recycling in the residence halls
Click Here for a quick guide on what we recycle
In most residence halls throughout campus, students will receive a green 18 gallon bin for their rooms. In the bins, you can collect your recyclable materials such as bottles, cans, chipboard, and paper. Upon filling the bins, it is the students responsibility to carry their 18 gallon bins and dispose of them in the larger bins located in various places throughout the building. Our recycling crew only picks up from these areas and does not pick up from individual rooms.
Some residence halls do not receive 18 gallon bins. These include Hunt Village, Phase 3, Martin Village and Greek Village. In this case, the student is responsible for taking their recyclable materials to the 30 yard roll off dumpster located outside the building. The roll off dumpster is broken up into 3 sections - Bottles, Cans and Paper (to include chipboard).
Locations of outdoor roll-offs
Greek Village - Near trash compactor
Moore - Behind building
Sanford - Behind building
Holshouser, Scott, and Hunt Village - Behind Holshouser
Martin Villate - Lot #5
Phase III and Phase IVA - Directly behind Phase III's V building, to the left of the volleyball court
Phase V - Lower level of lot #16
Phase VI and VII - Lot between the two buildings
Rolloff located outside of Witherspoon
Two of the most overlooked items that can be recycled are chipboard and cardboard. Chipboard includes cereal boxes, frozen food boxes, and drink boxes etc. We only recycle corrugated cardboard.
Residence Hall recycling includes aluminum cans, steel cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars, newspapers, phone books, catalogs and magazines, brown paper bags, cell phones, and toner cartridges.
One item that cannot be recycled is orange juice containers.
All new staff and faculty members with offices should receive a blue paper recycling bin. It is your responsibility to empty your paper bin into the larger bins located within your facility. In many cases, the larger bin is located in a break room, or a closet within the floor of your building. If you did not receive a bin upon arrival, please contact us so that we may get you one.
Other recyclables include:
6-pack rings, aluminum cans, batteries, books,
cardboard, CD's, glass bottles, plastic bottles, steel cans
styrofoam peanuts and block styrofoam, toner cartridges,
transparencies, Tyvek garments, and Tyvek envelopes
Click Here for a quick guide on how to recycle them
We only recycle corrugated cardboard. Please flatten and place near paper bins. If you are moving or have a large amount of material, please call to inform us.
If you would like to know where to take recyclables if you live off campus, visit this site.