Sustainability at Carthage

Recycling

What Can You Recycle?

In Campus Recycling Stations

Acceptable Items

  • Aluminum food and beverage containers
  • Brown paper bags
  • Cardboard, flattened
  • Catalogs, magazines and phone books
  • Chipboard/Paperboard (cereal boxes, shoe boxes, etc.)
  • Colored paper
  • Computer/office paper
  • Envelopes
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Newspapers and junk mail
  • Plastic bottles and jugs
  • Paper cardboard milk and juice containers
  • Tin and steel cans
  • Empty aerosol cans
  • White ledger paper

Note: Do not include food waste, films, plastic bags, plastic wrap, or foam cups and containers.

Non-Acceptable Items

  • Window or auto glass
  • Batteries (please see below)
  • Ceramics
  • Coat hangers
  • Film canisters
  • Food waste and garbage
  • Light bulbs (please take to the Maintenance Department)
  • Painted wood
  • Paper towels
  • Plastic grocery bags (please return to your supermarket)
  • Plastic wrap
  • Porcelain
  • Styrofoam
  • Treated wood

    Other Items You Can Recycle

    Batteries
    There is a five-gallon pail in each residence hall for small batteries (cell phone batteries, camera batteries, alkaline batteries, flashlight batteries, etc.). These pails are collected and taken to Maintenance, where Batteries Plus picks them up. Car batteries can be taken to Maintenance. Hedberg Library also recycles batteries.

    Ink Cartridges
    Hedberg Library recycles ink cartridges.

    Light bulbs
    Light bulbs are recycled through the Maintenance Department. 

    Other Items Carthage Recycles

    Refrigerant
    The Carthage Maintenance Department recycles refrigerant from small refrigerators in residence hall rooms. Students who have a broken refrigerator should contact the Maintenance Department.

    Branches and tree debris
    The Carthage Maintenance Department makes mulch from trees and branches. This mulch is then used on campus.

    Cooking Oil
    Sodexo, the College's food service operator, recycles all cooking oils. Oils are converted off-campus to biodiesel.

    Unused Food
    Sodexo donates unused food to a local charity three days per week.

    Oil filters from College vehicles
    All oil is drained, and then picked up for refinement. Old oil filters are crushed and recycled.

    Computers
    Carthage recycles old computers, monitors and keyboards. These items can be taken to Lentz Hall garage, by the mail room, or Hedberg Library loading dock. Or contact the Maintenance Department.

    Scrap metal
    Scrap metal is recycled by the Maintenance Department.

    Light bulbs
    Recycled by the Carthage Maintenance Department.

    Suggestions?

    If you have suggestions on campus recycling, please send an e-mail to Mary Slater, Environmental Services Supervisor. For information on recycling light bulbs, computers and refrigerators, contact the Maintenance Department at (262) 551-5925.