What We Recycle

At Rice we currently recycle paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic (#1 and #2), glass, computers and other electronics, cell phones, metal, vehicle batteries, printer/toner cartridges, and packaging materials.  We also provide for safe disposal of household batteries. 

Please do not bring your personal trash or recyclables from home to recycle on campus.  There are several recycling centers near Rice  to accommodate your off-campus recycling needs.

Paper:  Paper is one of the largest components of our waste stream at Rice.  All paper recycling receptacles on campus accept white paper, colored paper, computer paper, mail, brochures, stationary, adhesive notes, notepads, envelopes (even with plastic "windows"), catalogs, newspaper, magazines, and manila folders.  Staples and paper clips will not harm the process.

PLEASE DO NOT ADD: telephone books, laminated paper, wet paper, or food wrap to these bins.  Telephone books are collected through periodic recycling drives, typically when new telephone books are issued.

Cardboard:  Please empty and flatten cardboard boxes for better storage.  Small amounts of flattened cardboard can be placed with the paper recycling.  Large boxes should be placed on the loading dock for collection or flattened and placed next to the paper recycling bin.  If you generate a large amount of cardboard, it should be collected separately from paper in a covered location.  Contact the Recycling Coordinator (x5272) to establish a collection point.

PLEASE DO NOT ADD: Food-stained cardboard (including pizza boxes).  Packaging materials such as styrofoam peanuts can be recycled on campus at Delivery Services.  See below.

Aluminum Cans:  Please empty cans before dropping them in their appropriately marked bins.  Crushed cans are preferred.  Aluminum foil can also be recycled, but please rinse it first.

Plastic (#1 and #2):  We recycle both plastic #1 (water bottles) and plastic #2 (milk jugs, detergent bottles) separately.  Plastic #2 recycling bins can typically be found in the laundry rooms of each residential college.

PLEASE DO NOT ADD: plastic containers other than #1 and #2 to our recycling bins, and keep the #1 and #2 containers separate.

Glass:  We recycle clear, green, and amber glass together in a mixed stream.  Please empty containers before dropping them in their appropriately marked bins.

PLEASE DO NOT ADD:  glassware from laboratories, plate glass, or glass from mirrors.

Computers, Monitors, and other Electronics:  Computers and other equipment that are Rice property must be made available for sale through the Rice Classifieds.  Those who have equipment that is not Rice property do not need to follow the Rice Classifieds process.  If no bids are received for items listed in the Rice Classifieds, they can then be recyled.  Some of the computers picked-up for recycling are redirected to Friends of Young Minds, a Rice organization that gathers educational equipment for disadvantaged regions of the world.  The other electronics are then stripped of re-usable parts by members of our Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to support labs and projects, and the remaining components are recycled.  Please submit a work request to arrange collection.

Cell Phones:  Unwanted cell phones can be sent via campus mail to Richard Johnson, MS-312 for recycling. 

Metal:  Departments may place scrap metal on their loading dock and mark for recycling.

Vehicle Batteries:  If you have a vehicle battery that you would like to recycle, please contact Rice's Equipment Repair Shop (x2693) and make arrangements to bring the battery to them.

Printer/Toner Cartridges:  Rice Delivery Services accepts cartridges for recycling and they also have recycled toner available for purchase.  They prefer that used cartridges be placed in the boxes of their replacements to protect the used cartridge from damage.  Cartridges can be dropped-off at Rice Delivery Services, located next to Entrance 8 behind the campus police station, or they can be sent via campus mail to Rice Delivery Services, attn: cartridge recycling.  Several of the residential colleges also provide cartridge collection points.

Packaging Materials:  Rice Delivery Services accepts styrofoam peanuts and bubble wrap.  They are located next to Entrance 8 behind the campus police station.  For more information, contact Ute Franklin (x5826).

Household Batteries:  Household batteries (AA, C, D, 9V, etc.) should be taken to the Environmental Health and Safety Department office (Abercrombie, Room A106, first door on the right in the central lobby).  This is especially important for Ni-Cad (Nickle Cadmium) batteries which should be disposed of as hazardous waste.  For other types of potentially hazardous waste, contact EH&S (x4444).  Several residential colleges provide collection points for household batteries.

Last updated: February 21, 2008