Locations
Where to Recycle on Campus
Campus Buildings
- All buildings on campus will have waste stations similar to the photo above. Posters can help you decide what materials go in which bin.
- Please use the correct bins and separate materials accordingly.
- For reference on acceptable materials for recycling, visit the materials page for more information.
- Recycling on campus is a dual stream recycling collection process. Read more about dual stream recycling below.
Outdoor Stations
- As you walk around campus, look for the black bins like the ones in the photo above.
- The black bins will be labeled for designated materials such as: Landfill, Glass, Plastic and Aluminum and Paper.
- There are brown polycarts for recycling and dumpsters for cardboard located outside of campus housing and buildings.
Steps to Recycle in Residence Halls
Step 1:
Separate your Recycling, Trash and Cardboard
- All residence halls provide rooms with a blue Recycling bin and black Landfill bin.
- Please flatten all cardboard.
- Residence halls have a single stream recycling collection process.
- For reference on what acceptable and unacceptable materials go in what bin or if you have hard-to-recycle materials, visit the materials page for more information.
Step 2:
Bring separate materials to the outdoor waste area for your building
- Outside of your residence hall, there will be a large brown cardboard dumpster, large landfill dumpster and multiple brown recycling polycarts.
Step 3:
Put your waste in the correct bin
- Recycling goes in the brown polycarts.
- Landfill goes in the black dumpster.
- Cardboard goes in the brown dumpster.
- There will also be signage to help you decide what materials go in which bins.
Recycling at Home
Separate Your Waste
- Proper recycling starts inside your home!
- You are preparing materials as resources to be used again!
- Pay attention to local guidelines for acceptable materials. Visit How2Recycle for local guidelines and recycling centers in your area.
- Every home should have a recycle bin and a compost bin next to their trash bin, as stated in Boulder's Universal Zero Waste Ordinance.
- The City of Boulder can also help you get started with Waste Services.
Single Stream
- Cans, bottles, papers and cardboard can go into one bin.
- Even though it's a single stream of materials, NOT everything can be recycled.
- Contamination causes problems downstream, so know what you throw.
- ** If you are on campus at CU Boulder, it is a Dual Stream collection where you must separate cans and bottles from papers.
Use the Correct Bin
- Take your sorted materials to your curbside bin or dumpster.
- Make sure to dump it into the correct bin.
- This is the final step to make sure your hard work pays off!