Recycling

Recycling is an integral piece of UW–Madison’s sustainability efforts. F0llowing correct recycling practices helps to divert usable materials away from the landfill, reduces environmental impact, saves money on landfill tipping fees, and generates revenue for the university. The campus recycling program is managed by the Waste and Recycling group in Facilities Planning & Management.

SINGLE VS MULTI-STREAM

The UW–Madison recycling program is separate from the city of Madison and has some important differences. UW–Madison uses a multi-stream system that requires users to sort materials (plastic, glass, metal, paper, and cardboard) into different recycling bins. On campus, office paper and mixed paper are collected separately from plastics, glass, and metals. If paper and plastic are mixed, the recycling is considered contaminated and may not be processed.

This is different from many local municipalities, including the city of Madison, which use a single-stream recycling system where materials are collected in a single recycling bin and sorted at a processing plant.

TYPES OF RECYCLING

Recycling bins are found throughout the UW–Madison campus buildings and grounds. While the appearance and labeling of individual bins may vary, the types of material collected are the same:

Cans, Glass, Plastic (commingled/same bin): Plastics #1-7, aluminum and steel cans, glass bottles and jars. Leave lids on.

NOT accepted: plastic wrap, bags*, or foil

*While single bags are not recyclable, plastic shopping bags may be recycled if they are clean, dry, and bundled together to approximately the size of a basketball.

Mixed Paper: Newspaper, magazines, cardboard, colored or lined paper, sticky notes, paper bags

NOT accepted: cups, waxy paper, greasy cardboard, or photo paper

Office Paper: White copy and printer paper (whole or shredded), envelopes

All materials should be clean. Even small amounts of food or liquid can contaminate an entire load of recycling! Please rinse or wipe out containers before recycling.

For more information about composting on campus, visit our composting page.

SPECIALTY RECYCLING

• Expanded polystyrene foam (Styrofoam): Initiated by the Boxable project, Facilities Planning & Management collects foam shipping containers and large packing material (such as those that come around TVs, computers, and other electronics) for recycling. See the Styrofoam Reuse and Recycling page for more information and collection sites.

• Medications: UWPD has a MedDrop collection box at their headquarters at 1429 Monroe St. Most prescription and over-the-counter medications are accepted for proper disposal.
• Clothing and Shoes: Clothing and shoes in good shape can be donated at the bin outside College Library or at one of the many resale stores in Madison. Shoes can also be donated at the Natatorium and the SERF – ask the front desk for drop-off locations. Some stores, including St. Vincent de Paul locations, will also accept worn-out clothing and textiles for recycling.
• Large electronic items: The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) accepts some larger personal electronics for recycling, including computers, monitors, and printers. See this article for more information.
• Batteries and small electronic items: many small electronic waste (e-waste) items and batteries can be disposed of in the recycling towers on campus. Acceptable items include CDs/DVDs, tape-based media, hard drives, flash drives, mp3 players, cameras, handheld games, cords, and cables. (For lead acid batteries, see this page.) Many of the towers also include slots for eyeglasses and printer cartridges. See map below for drop off locations.

Note: the locations on this map are subject to change. If you have trouble finding a bin, please contact us.

• Everything else, including potentially toxic items such as appliances, paint, or used oil: visit this page for directions.