Cell Phone Recycling
As cell phones are constantly being upgraded, the outdated phones need to be disposed of in a responsible and environmentally friendly manner.This service is ONLY for waste generated on campus.
CU Recycling has formed a partnership withto reuse and recycle old cell phones.
To recycle your old cell phone on the CU campus, the main options are:
- Drop Off Location: Environmental Center,University Memorial Center- UMC 355.
- Or check out the.
Types of materials accepted
- Any cell phone (working or broken).
- Cell phone chargers.
- Cell phone batteries.
- iPods, MP3 players, portable CD players.
- Tablets (working or broken).
- Bluetooth devices (small).
- Electronic accessories (small).
- Digital cameras.
Electronics Recycling (E-Waste)
Did you know electronic waste, also known as e-waste, is the fastest-growing component of waste worldwide? In the United States alone, we throw out approximately 130,000 computers daily and 100 million cell phones annually. Please recycle aged electronics, cell phones or appliances that cannot be re-used.
Recycling E-Waste On Campus
When recycling electronics, it is always good practice to ensure the equipment is being recycled responsibly.Property Servicesensures all university-owned electronics are disposed of responsibly, following the highest industry standards for sustainability. In fact, 100 percent of the university's surplus electronics are diverted from landfill by staff.
Recycling E-Waste Off Campus
for electronic waste contains useful information for your off-campus recycling needs. The Eco-Cycle facility CHaRM (Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials) in Boulder works with Electronics Recyclers International, who are certified to assure electronic scrap is safely processed.for specifics on accepted materials and fees.
Best Buy also offers electronics and appliancerecycling at their store locations with many FREE options to recycle materials. to find out what is acceptable at a store near you!
Clothing
There are two big ways to join the sustainable Herd in reusing:
- Before you head to the store to buy something new, check thrift shops and online exchange sites.
- Instead of throwing your old items out, donate them or sell them secondhand.
These two actions will save the Earth while saving you money! Lucky for you, Boulder has plenty of resources to help you reuse. Thrift stores aren't all clothes and furniture- you can reuse almost anything around here!
Less clothing in landfills
- .
- Most clothes are made from, which take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills.
Fewer resources used and wasted
- Making clothes takes a lot of water. It is estimated thatin growing the cotton used and in processing.
- Thrifting will help keep these resources from going to waste and help stop the drive of companies to be constantly producing more.
Helps to reduce chemical pollution
- Most cotton used to make clothing is genetically modified which means growing it is highly pesticide-intensive. Pesticides can lead to.
- Textile manufacturing processes usually involve harmful dies and crude oil by-products. Thesewhich contaminates surface and groundwater.
How can thrift shopping benefit you?
- Cheaper!
- Develop a unique wardrobe.
- Can find genuine vintage items or designer products at a fraction of the initial cost.
- Learn to upcycle and turn clothes into a unique piece of your own.
Disk Recycling
Disk items are recycled through Green Disk
- Campus Items ONLY... no personal property.
- We pay to recycle items through Green Disk, plus shipping costs.
- We only have funding for campus property.
- Check out thefor more info about disk recycling.
- For personal property,.
Small quantity options - 1 box or less
- Send through Campus Mail to 209 UCB.
- Deliver to Environmental Center, UMC 355.
Large quantity options (more than 1 box)
Ship directly to Green Disk
Deliver to Recycling Operations Center
- Box materials.
- Contact the Recycling Operations Center to set up a time to deliver through email:recycling@colorado.edu
Acceptable Items
- CDs and DVDs
- Casette tapes
- VHS tapes
- Jewel cases and DVD cases
- Casette tape cases
- VHS tape cases
- Floppy disks
- Film reels (Black and White ONLY-No color film)
Battery Recycling
CU-Boulder's Environmental Health & Safetydepartment accepts sealed and non-leaking recharchageable batteries and batteries from pagers, cell phones, laptops, etc. from University operations. Alkaline batteries from campus departments can now also be recycled through their program.
Any/all small sealed battery types are acepted in EHS campus battery collection containers, including: alkaline batteries, rechargeable batteries, lithium cells, nickel-cadmium, sealed lead acid, button-cell, cell-phone batteries, laptop batteries, etc.
Do you want to help even further? Please apply tape to all battery terminals or place each battery separately into a plastic baggie to prevent short circuits while in transit to the recycling facility. The university recycles all battery types.
For additional information about battery recycling, please call EHS at 303-492-7845.
Here is a list of battery recycling collection sites on campus:
Main Campus Locations:
- UMC |1st floor near bathrooms, West of Starbucks
- Norlin Library| East entrance
- Regent Administrative Center| 1st floor, East lobby
- Campus Police &Parking Services| Lobby
- Stadium| Facilities Management service desk
- Engineering Center| 1st floor, Main entrance
- Wolf Law| 3rd floor, Dean's suite
- Duane Physics| 1st floor lobby, Gamov Tower
- Center for Community (C4C)| 1st floor near elevators
- Environmental Health & Safety| 2nd floor copy room
- Leeds Business| 3rd floor Technology Center
- Ramaley Biology| West wing, Admin. Office
- Porter| 2nd level, next to elevators
East Campus Locations:
- RL-3 (ARCE)| Inside North entrance
- RL-2| Near recycling bins by dock
- Housing Maintenance (HMSC)| Near service desk
- Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology| Inside Chemistry Stores
- SEEC| East receiving dock
- Distribution Center| Opposite service desk
- LASP| 1st floor hallway
- Space Science| Entry, near reception
- Transportation| Past service office, left side
Acceptable Materials
- Alkaline Batteries
- Rechargeable Batteries
- Lithium Cells
- Nickel-cadmium
- Sealed Lead Acid
- Button-cell Batteries
- Cell Phone Batteries
- Laptop Batteries
Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL) Recycling
On-Campus CFL Recycling
The recycling of fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) on the CU Boulder campus is a joint effort byand.
- Facilities Management collects all of the fluorescent bulbs/CFLs they routinely replace, and also manages the main recycling effort on campus for fluorescent tubes.
- Environmental Health & Safety collects the bulbs generated in campus laboratories, and will also collect CFLs from campus offices who replace their own bulbs.
- Campus departments can arrange a pick-up of CFLs by contacting EH&S at 303-492-7845.
- Please store the bulbs in their original packaging or other sturdy packaging to prevent breakage.
- Also please note that ONLY CFLs generated as a result of University business can be collected.
- More information about Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs and other hazardous waste generated on campus can be found in the(page 11).
Off-Campus CFL Recycling
CFLs generated at home need to be recycled at one of the following locations:
- Your local county Household Hazardous Waste collection site.
- Boulder County Hazerdous Materials Managemenet Facility, 1901 63rd St, 720-564-2220.
- Free for Boulder County Residents. Bring ID or a utility bill to prove current address
- Retail stores that now that manage collection sites:
- McGuckins Hardware, 2525 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO, 303-443-1822.
- Bin in the electrical department, open during regular business hours, no charge.
- Home Depot, 1600 29th St, Boulder, CO, 303-449-4221.
- Bring to Special Service desk during regural business hours, no charge.
- More info at:
- .
- maintains a list of places in the Boulder area to take hard-to-recycle materials, including CFLs.
Toner Cartridges and Ink Jet Recycling
Return toner cartridges and ink jets to your vendor when buying a new one
- Vendor will reuseor recycle.
- Recycle in bin if your vendor will not take your toner or inkjet back.
Toner and ink jet collection locations across campus:
- Regent|Basement recycling cabinet, next to 1B57 and vending machines
- Parking/Police| Main lobby, next to ATM
- ARC East (Marine Street)| Basement, next to east exit to dock
- Folsom Stadium| Inside OIT office, next to Gate 6
- Environmental Center (UMC 355)| Front desk of the Environmental Center
- Distribution Center (33rd and Walnut area)| Mailing room, any drop offs go to front desk
- Housing Maintenance (Marine Street)| Dock area, not open to public drop off
Office Supply Recycling and Reuse
CU Boulder campus departments
If you have excess office supplies that still have life, we may be able to put them back to use! Also, many office supplies cannot be put into typical recycling bins (tyvek envelops, transparencies, etc).
- Usable office supplies are given back to students for free at the start of each semester.
- Look for the Free Office Supplies Drive in the UMC tabling area to give or grab used notebooks, binders, pens and more!
- Hard to recycle items, such as tyvek envelops and transparencies, can be recycled seperate from normal recycling bins.
How to get office supplies reused or recycled:
- On campus? Send by campus mail to Recycling, 209 UCB.
- Or drop it by the Environmental Center inUMC 355.
Not a campus department?
At some times of the year we may be able to take your reusable office supplies -- if they are innew or almost new shape and desirable to college students. Call or email to confirm if we are accepting donations.
- Examples of desirable items: notebooks with plenty of paper left, working pens, markers, loose paper, binders that are 2" or smaller and look new and clean.
- Items not acceptable from off-campus sources: most binders unless almost new (no binders larger than 2", no worn binders), no filing folders, no desk organizers.
Special Collections and Office Clean Outs
If you are cleaning out files, storerooms, etc. and have more recyclables than the current recycling station can handle, please email
recycling@colorado.edu or call 303-492-5321 in advance to arrange for delivery of additional containers.
Acceptable Materials
- Notebooks and Journals
- Folders and Dividers
- 3-ring Binders
- Remove paper and recycle paper seperately.
- Pens, Pencils, Markers, etc.
- Sticky Notes and Note Pads
- Office Organizers
- Print Cartridges and Ink Jets
- Tyvek Envelopes
- Transparencies
- Interdepartmental Mail Envelopes
Lab Recycling
Visit the Green LabsLab Efforts | Wastesectionto learn how to recycle lab materials.