UCCS Zero Waste
UCCS Zero Waste
Zero Waste Efforts at UCCS
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! While this may seem like an outdated slogan, we are focusing our efforts on the first two 'Rs', by encouraging our UCCS community to bring reusable mugs, water bottles, snack containers, and more, before considering an option that is single-use and disposable. Even though diverting materials from the landfill via composting and recycling is the best option for most things, consider the life of your item before buying it; if you have to buy it at all.
"If it can't be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, composted or recycled then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production." - Berkeley Ecology Center
Cardboard Collection Program:
From 2014-2020, UCCS separated cardboard out of our single-stream into its own collection stream. This process allowed us to hire student staff to manage the collection and sell the material to a local company who then sold the uncontaminated cardboard to end-users. The end-users turn the raw material into new products saving natural resources, energy and money. With the expansion of campus and online shopping, our campus was generating more cardboard than we could manage. The program was no longer making money or breaking even. Because of these costs, we decided to eliminate the program and ask our campus community to put cardboard in our blue, single-stream bins and dumpsters. The cardboard will still be turned into new products through our waste hauler.
Please remember to continue to breakdown your cardboard boxes. This helps us reduce our hauling needs and costs.
Single-Stream Recycling
In January 2009, UCCS implemented single-stream recycling, which allows all recyclable materials to be put into a single bin, thus eliminating the need to separate the waste. Single-stream recycling typically improves recycling rates by about 30%. UCCS' long term goal is 70% by the end of 2030. We are pursuing a number of initiatives to achieve this goal, including to zero waste athletics and other events on campus. If you are interested in having your event zero wasted, please contact us or check out this helpful guide here.
NEED AN OFFICE RECYCLING BIN?
Please email sustain@uccs.edu
Hard to Recycle Materials
Some materials are not meant for single stream. With that in mind, use the map below to find locations to recycle
- plastic bags
- batteries and electronics
- ink and toner cartridges
Plastic Bags:
The UCCS Bookstore and the Student Life and Leaderships office have boxes to put plastic bags and wraps in.
Batteries and Electronics:
We recycle our electronics with Blue Star Recycling because they are e-Steward certified. This certification means they practice responsible recycling procedures to ensure hazardous chemicals are not put into our environment and to protect human health. With this certification, we know that Blue Star Recyclers adhere to the highest standard of environmental responsibility and work protection.
UCCS also has a battery recycling program through Blue Star Recycling. Currently, there are black buckets around the UCCS campus to drop off all household batteries, small appliances, and cell phones.
Are you a UCCS employee? Follow these instructions to recycle your laptop, desktop, or other University electronics property.
Please click this link to submit a work request:
- Click the black button to submit
- On the left side panel, click the blue words ‘submit a request’
- Select your building where MAD will collect your laptop
- Enter your information (no speedtype required). In the request, be very specific that you’d like the MAD group to collect your laptop and when/how is best to collect.
- Click submit. You’ll receive an email confirmation.
Toner Cartridges:
Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) is working with Cartridges-for-Kids, and FundingFactory to recycle toner ink cartridges. If you have questions, you can contact Cindy Norton at (719) 255-3212 or cnorton@uccs.edu. The links for which cartridges are acceptable can be found here: Cartridges for Kids and FundingFactory.
