How to recycle where you live

For employees and students who live off campus, Suffolk wants to help make it easier than ever for you to take advantage of the recycling program in your community.  Whether you live in Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, or someplace else in the area, this directory makes it easy for you to find out what you need to know to get on the path toward less trash.  See how your community's recycling program works and start recycling!

How Are We Doing?

Suffolk is recycling approximately 43% of its waste.  Reduce, reuse, recycle and help us get this number up to 50%!

Recycle Mania Results

Since 2007 Suffolk University has participated in Recycle Mania, the national waste reduction and recycling competition for colleges and universities. 

Suffolk's 2013 performance

Grand Champion: this category combines trash and each of the core recyclable materials to determine a school’s recycling rate as a percentage of its overall waste generation.
• Top 17% nationally for Grand Champion: surpassing our goal of placing in the top 20% 
• # 4 in MA (out of 24 schools competing in this category)

Overview of Recycling at Suffolk

Suffolk offers recycling in all of the buildings we own.  We also strive to facilitate recycling in leased spaces.  Recycling conserves natural resources and costs less than having trash hauled. 

Take 1 minute to watch this student-created how-to video.

View the Suffolk Recycling How-To Brochure.

Now that you've seen how easy it is, check out some numbers...

Stats

Since 2006, we have increased our recycling rate from just 5% to 40%.  But in 2010 we did better than we are doing today.  We need your help to throw away less and recycle more.  In Fiscal Year 2011 we threw away approximately 1.14 million pounds of material, recycled 770,000 pounds of material, and composted 120,000 pounds of material. Help us achieve our goal of recycling at least 50% of our waste stream!

What you can put in any recycling bin at Suffolk

Glass: Empty glass bottles

 Plastic: To-go containers, plates, cups (cold and hot), bottles, bowls, yogurt cups, coffee cup lids

 Metal: Soda cans, tin cans, tin foil

Note: Please empty/wipe food containers before recycling them. 

Paper: Envelopes, office paper, colored paper,magazines/brochures, newspapers, paperboard boxes, coffee cups, coffee cup sleeves, paper plates (so long as they are not greasy).

Cardboard: Please empty and flatten corrugated cardboard boxes and place next to a recycling bin for pick-up.

Food Waste

If you are in an area with composting available, please compost food scraps, napkins, tea bags, wooden stirrers, and compostable dining ware (if in use).

Electronic Waste

Electronics (i.e. printers, monitors, refrigerators, fax machines): Place an electronic waste recycling work request.

Inkjet & toner cartridges: Ship cartridges back to the manufacturer for recycling, using the pre-paid shipping label and box the cartridges come in.  If you do not have the shipping label or box, you may drop off cartridges at Mail Services for recycling.  Alternatively, area office supply stores such as Staples accept a wide variety of cartridges. 

Rechargeable batteries & cell phones: Bring to Mail Services for recycling.

Techno Trash (i.e. discs, DVDs/CDs, transparencies, tapes): Drop off in a Techno Trash bin in one of the computer labs or contact oehs@suffolk.edu.

Light bulbs: Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) contain a small amount of mercury and need to be specially recycled.  When you have a CFL that has burned out, place an electronic waste recycling work request.  In the event that a CFL shatters, contact the Office of Environmental Health & Safety for guidance.