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Green Games September Program — Recycling Right!

 

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Print or download the September Program Theme poster.
E-guy recycling mascot with recycling containers in The Pit at UNC.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Do your residents know what they can and can’t recycle on campus? Do they know where to recycle things on campus? Do they know what happens to the recycling when it leaves campus? These are all examples of questions that you can teach your residents about recycling! By recycling right, we can assure that more materials get recycled and lessen the costs associated with recycling.

WHAT CAN WE RECYCLE ON CAMPUS?

  • In the Blue Recycling Bins:
    • Plastic bottles, tubs, jugs, and jars
    • Glass bottles
    • Aluminum and steel cans
    • Mixed paper
  • In the Blue Dumpster
    • Flattened Cardboard
  • In the Student Union
    • All Batteries
    • Small Electronic Waste, such as cell phones, peripherals, cords, and chargers (e-waste compartment)
    • Plastic Film
  • In Your Community Office
    • Clean and dry Plastic Film, including:
      • Plastic grocery bags
      • Product packaging wrap
      • Air Pillows and Bubble Wrap
      • Zip-close food storage bags (NOT frozen food bags)
      • Recyclable plastic film must be stretchy not crunchy. NO chip bags or candy wrappers.
    • Printer cartridges (inkjet & laser toner)
    • Batteries
    • Light bulbs

WHAT ARE SOME COMMON CONTAMINANTS IN OUR RECYCLING ON CAMPUS?

Common contaminants: NEVER in blue (recycling) bins:

  • Plastic Bags
  • Cups
  • Food-contaminated items
  • Lids
  • Straws

WHY IS RECYCLING IMPORTANT?

  • Supports over 18,000 private-sector jobs in North Carolina
  • Conserves natural resources and creates feedstock for new products
  • Helps UNC reach its climate-neutral and zero-waste commitments
  • Prevents pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials

RECYCLING FACTS

  • UNC-Chapel Hill fills enough trash dumpsters to line Cameron Avenue, Chapel Hill, every 106 days.
  • North Carolinians recycle 85.4 pounds of materials a second. That’s impressive! But we throw away over 752

    • pounds of trash a second. That’s almost nine times what we recycle.

  • Recycling one ton of aluminum cans saves the equivalent of 1,665 gallons of gasoline.
  • By producing a ton of paper from recycled materials, energy consumption is cut in half and 17 trees are saved.

    • WHAT COULD YOUR PROGRAM LOOK LIKE?

    • Set up a recycling shootout where residents toss recyclables into their appropriate bins. You could include some
      non-recyclables to test your residents’ knowledge!
    • Hold a recycling scavenger hunt! Have your residents visit the different types of recycling bins we have on campus.
    • Create an educational bulletin board in your hall made from recycled materials!

    For more info visit the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling Website.

    Email: Greengames@unc.edu Website: go.unc.edu/greengames

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