Recycling Gains as Recycling Broadens
Every year, MIT increases the amount of material it recycles. In 2006, the Institute received a Go Green award from the City of Cambridge for its efforts. In addition, the Working Group Recycling Committee (WGR) received an Excellence Award in 2006 for building a recycling community.
Do you want to help improve recycling on campus? Then check this list and learn how to increase our recycling efforts.
Paper
Plastics, Glass Bottles, & Metal Cans
Cardboard
Phonebooks & Catalogs
Toner Cartridges
Batteries
Monitors
TechnoCycle
Residence Halls
Items Not Recyclable
New Recycling Bins
Paper
All paper recycling bins on campus (desk-side bins, common area large paper bins, and smaller blue-top bins) take a wide range of paper products. These include:
- All white and colored paper
- Newspapers
- Glossy paper and magazines
- Computer printouts
- Carbonless forms
- Envelopes with or without plastic windows
- Manila envelopes
- Self-stick notes and memos
- File folders
Staples are okay!
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Plastics, Glass Bottles, and Metal Cans
Plastics labeled 1-7 can be recycled in the container bins with green tops. Glass bottles and metal cans can be recycled in the container bins with green tops, also.
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Cardboard
Small pieces of cardboard can be thrown in the desk-side bins or common area blue-top bins. Boxes and larger amounts can be placed beside the desk side bins and will be removed for recycling. Please help our custodians by flattening all of your cardboard boxes.
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Phonebooks and Catalogs
Single phone books, catalogs, or soft cover books can be put in desk side recycling bins. To recycle large numbers of phonebooks or catalogs, call 617-253-6360 or email recycling@mit.edu.
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Toner Cartridges
Recycle small empty toner cartridges using the postage paid envelopes found in the Distributed Mail Centers (DMCs). Large, empty toner cartridges can be returned to the manufacturer in the same box in which they came. Instructions come with the packaging.
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Batteries
Alkaline batteries no longer contain mercury and can be disposed of in the trash.
Contact recycling@mit.edu to dispose of these batteries:
- Nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries
- Button batteries
- Lithium Batteries
For lead batteries, contact the Environmental Health and Safety Office at 617-452-3477.
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Monitors
MIT offices, labs, and centers are asked to submit a requisition for pickup of monitors and computer’s central processing units (CPUs). The only charges from the Department of Facilities to dispose of these materials are for the amount of labor involved. For pickup, please call 617-253-6360 or email recycling@mit.edu.
The Property Office Sticker must be deactivated before equipment can be recycled. Contact the Property Office at 617-253-2779.
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TechnoCycle
Due to the high interest in recycling technological materials, the process has been redesigned. For small electronics, please use TechnoCycle bins located in Distributed Mail Centers or you can mail it via interdepartmental mail to Recycling, Building NW62. If you have a large amount of technocycling, please call 617-253-6360 or email recycling@mit.edu to arrange for a pick up.
The following items may be recycled as technocycling:
- CDs and diskettes
- Audio and video tapes
- Cell phones and pagers
- Keyboards and PDAs
- Rechargeable batteries
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Residence Halls
Questions regarding recycling in the residence halls can be directed to the individual house managers.
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Items not recyclable
- Pizza Boxes. The oil from the pizza contaminates the box.
- Hardcover books (try the reuse@mit.edu list)
- Styrofoam
- Carbon paper
- Waxed cardboard
- Tissues, paper towels, napkins, etc.
Don't mix trash with recycling
Please make sure bottles and cans are empty.Don't throw any container with food in these bins. If the bins are contaminated with food or drink, recyclables have to be thrown away as trash.
New Recycling Bins
To obtain a desk-side recycling bin fill out the Bin Request Form. Delivery takes about 2-5 days.
For a larger "slim jim" bin for containers or for paper you will need to order one from the Office Depot website via SAPweb. Click on the tab on the left that reads "My Shopping Lists". Then click on "Recycled Products". The bins and tops are listed separately, so make sure you order both a bin and a top.
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