Recycling Across Campuses

Batteries

ASU recycles batteries. All batteries generated from ASU-related operations and work, need to be recycled by faculty or staff through Environmental Health & Safety. For a pickup, please contact Environmental Health & Safety at (480) 965-1823 or (480) 965-3899, or via email at ehs@asu.edu.

Create a battery recycling container for your office using these simple steps:
1. Print the downloadable battery flyer.
2. Wrap it around and secure it to a coffee can.
3. Cut a hole in the lid of the coffee can.
4. Place it in a work room/area of your office and watch sustainability work.

Batteries can also be dropped off at the Student Recreation Complex (SRC Equipment Room).

Batteries collected in the residence halls are sent to Westech, a recycling company located near downtown Phoenix. Batteries collected from ASU operations are sent to Lighting Resources, a recycling company located in Phoenix. A high-temperature process reclaims reusable metals like nickel, lead, iron, cobalt and cadmium from the batteries. These metals can then be used again in new batteries or in stainless steel.

Bicycle Tires & Inner Tubing

ASU’s Bike Co-op accepts all bike tires and tubing for recycling during the academic year. Call (480) 965-8017 for hours. The Bike Co-op is located in the back of the Student Recreation Complex (SRC).

Cell Phones

Thanks to the generosity and initiative of Mail Services’ staff, cell phone recycling at ASU is even easier.

Simply place your old cell phones in campus mail WITHOUT the envelope and Mail Services staff will pick up the phones with the rest of the mail. Please make sure to label any ASU phones as such so we can properly inventory those as required by state law. Personal cell phones do not need to be labeled. All phones placed in campus mail will be collected, so don’t mistakenly place your cell phone in the campus mailbox or tray.

Please contact ASU Recycling at temperecycling@asu.edu if you have a large number of cell phones to recycle.

Cell phones generated from ASU operations are collected by ASU Surplus Property and sold to auction bidders. Cell phones collected in residence halls are taken to Westech, a recycling company located near downtown Phoenix. Phones in good condition are refurbished for continued use and broken cell phones are taken apart and individual parts are recycled. Whenever possible, Westech keeps items in local and regional markets.

Concrete, Asphalt, and Sheetrock

The ASU Recycling Program accepts trash-free dirt, rock, concrete, asphalt, and block mixed together as well as gypsum wallboard (also known as drywall or Sheetrock&trad;) in a separate bin. If you have the means to transport this material to the construction demolition recycling bins, please contact recycle-q@asu.edu for the exact location. If you lack a way to transport the materials, please email recycle-q@asu.edu with the types of items you have.

Instead of storing asphalt or concrete in containers where it is difficult to remove the material, we will gladly provide you with old canvas carts for larger items. Please place smaller pieces or chunks of concrete, asphalt, rocks or dirt in a container that is easy for our crew to empty.

Gypsum wallboard goes to Grow-Well, a composting company located in Phoenix. Gro-Well uses the recycled gypsum wallboard (clean/new and used) for planting mixes. Concrete, asphalt, and brick goes to Rio Salado Materials, LLC, a Phoenix-based waste management company. The material is crushed and used to make a recycled aggregate base for use on other construction projects.

Cardboard (flattened) and Greasy Pizza Boxes

ASU continues to recycle corrugated cardboard in designated bins/areas. If you do not have a cardboard hamper and would like to establish a designated area for cardboard recycling or need a one-time special pickup, contact recycle-q@asu.edu. Please remove any recyclables, Styrofoam™ or trash from inside boxes and flatten them.
Greasy pizza boxes are okay to recycle; make sure the boxes are free of cheese and sauce residue as well as pizza crust, napkins, etc.
The difference between chipboard/paperboard (cereal boxes, shoe boxes, etc.) and corrugated cardboard is compressed paper, whereas corrugated cardboard consists of two rigid outer layers and a wavy interlayer. Please do not place chipboard or paperboard in the corrugated cardboard bins.

Electronics and Appliances

For items still in decent condition or items regardless of their condition that include a property control number, please contact Surplus Property. If the items are completely inoperable and do not have a property control number, please contact temperecycling@asu.edu for a pickup.

Electronics and appliances in good condition are collected by ASU Surplus Property and sold to auction bidders. Electronics and appliances that are in poor condition and those generated from residence halls are taken to Westech, a recycling company located near downtown Phoenix. Items in good condition are refurbished for continued use and broken items are taken apart and the individual parts are recycled. Whenever possible, Westech keeps items in local and regional markets.

Film, Media, and Cases

Thanks to the generosity and initiative of Mail Services’ staff, recycling VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, microfiche/microfilm, jewel cases, and floppy disks at ASU is much easier.

Simply place these items in campus mail WITHOUT the envelope and Mail Services’ staff will pick them up with the rest of the mail. Please only place items in the campus mailbox/tray in this manner if you want them to be recycled.

If you have an item similar in nature to the items listed above but you are not sure if it can be recycled, contact recycle-q@asu.edu with a description.

Large Quantity Pickup - VHS Tapes, CDs, DVDs, Microfiche/Microfilm, Jewel Cases, Floppy Disks

Mail Services will NOT pick up large quantities of these items. Instead, please send the type of material, quantity, and location of the item(s) to recycle-q@asu.edu and the ASU Recycling Program will arrange a pickup.

NOTICE: Please note it is your responsibility to erase or destroy any sensitive data contained on any media before discarding it. Please consider the use of magnetic bulk erasers for magnetic media and diskettes with sensitive data. CDs or DVDs with sensitive data should be shredded, however a few snips with scissors will make the disk unreadable in a drive. ASU and its agents will not be held responsible for any data left on discarded media.

Film, media, and cases in any condition are taken to Westech, a recycling company located near downtown Phoenix. The items are taken apart and the individual parts are recycled. Whenever possible, Westech keeps items in local and regional markets.

Greeting Cards

Please send all types of greeting cards, regardless of what they are made of, to the Child Development Lab (CDL Mail code 3701).

Greeting cards are sent to the Child Development Lab, a childhood education and childcare facility that is housed on the ASU Tempe campus. Children who are 2-5 years old will use them in arts and crafts projects.

Laboratory Glass

Non-Pyrex Glass & Glassware
As long as the glass protocol listed below is followed, this type of glass can be placed in commingled recycling bins. If you have a large amount, email temperecycling@asu.edu.

Pyrex/Heat-Resistant Glass & Broken Glass
We recycle Pyrex but it must be separated from non-Pyrex glass due to a different melting point. Email temperecycling@asu.edu for a pickup.

Can I recycle glass chemical containers?
Yes, as long as they are empty.

Do I need to rinse chemical containers?
No, as long as they are empty and contain no visible product.

What about the chemical label on the container? Do I need to remove or obscure it?
No labels need to be removed.

Can I recycle glass chemical containers?
Yes, as long as they are empty.

My glass chemical container sill contains product that won't come out. What do I do?
Depending on the product, you can try to rinse the container - always rinse in a hazardous waste stream; never down the drain or trash. Or, complete a hazardous waste tag and request a pickup from EH&S.

Where does laboratory glass go and what is it used for after it leaves the ASU campus?
Pyrex and other heat-resistant lab glass is being collected for a large delivery to Granite Express in Mesa. The glass is cleaned, crushed down to the appropriate size, and tumbled, and then used in a porous pavement system. The pavement allows for stormwater filtration and keeps pollutants from getting into the stormwater system. The dust and flecks of glass that crush down to smaller than 1/16" are re-used in reflective paints.Regular glass (non-Pyrex/heat resistant glass) that is not broken can be placed in any commingled recycling bin on campus. This glass goes to a Waste Management recycling facility in Phoenix.

Ink and Laser Toner Cartridges

Ink and toner cartridges are simple to recycle. Students, please place cartridges in the ink and toner recycling bins located at the front desk of every Tempe residence hall or at any campus UPS Store.

Thanks to the generosity and initiative of ASU Stores’ staff, ALL cartridges are being picked up by ASU Stores. For a pickup, please contact ASU Stores at (480) 965-3772 or asustores@asu.edu.

Laser and Computer Options, Inc., located in Tempe, collects all ink and toner cartridges and refurbishes those in good condition while taking apart damaged cartridges and recycling the individual parts. Most of the remanufacturing is done in the Phoenix area. Some of the damaged parts are kept locally while others are sold to regional, national, and global recycling markets.

Light Bulbs and CFLs

All light bulbs generated from ASU-related operations/work need to be recycled by faculty or staff via EH&S. For a pickup, please contact Environmental Health & Safety at (480) 965-1823 or (480) 965-3899, or via email at ehs@asu.edu. You may also fill out an online waste pickup request.

Light bulbs collected from ASU operations are sent to Lighting Resources, a recycling company located in Phoenix. Once they are collected, they are crushed and sorted into their separate components and the components of CFLs are separated into glass, phosphor (usually calcium phosphate) and mercury.

Packaging Material

Packaging peanuts, bubble wrap, air pillows, Styrofoam&trad; chunks, and other packaging materials in good condition can be dropped off at these UPS locations on campus:

• The UPS Store at Palo Verde East
  510 East University Drive

• The UPS Store at Hassayampa Academic Village
  711 East Lemon

If you have a large quantity of packaging materials (several boxes or bags), please call UPS for a pickup at (480) 894-8838 ext. 103.

In most cases, packaging materials do not leave the ASU campus. Clean packaging peanuts, air pillows, bubble wrap, and polystryrene/Styrofoam&trad; chunks are taken by the consumer (while large quantities can be picked up from your department by UPS see above) to one of two UPS Store locations on the ASU Tempe campus. They are reused by UPS as packaging.

Scrap Metal

Scrap metal includes copper and copper wire, tin, steel, and aluminum or items that consist primarily of one or all of these materials.

If you need a scrap metal pickup, please contact: recycling@asu.edu.

Scrap metal is picked up by Renovated Metals, a company located in Phoenix. Renovated Metals’ scrap metal yards collect industrial and obsolete scrap, process it into reusable forms, and supply the recycled metals to customers for corporate transactions in scrap metal. Whenever possible, Renovated Metals keeps items in local and regional markets.

Shoes

The following shoes are accepted at the drop-off site in the lobby of the Student Recreation Complex:

• Athletic shoes in any condition

• Boots, dress shoes, flip-flops and sandals in good condition only

Drop-off times are any time the building is open.

Worn athletic shoes will go to the Nike-Reuse-A-Shoe (http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/) program where they are processed and recycled into material used in sports surfaces like basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic fields, running tracks and playgrounds for young people around the world.

Boots, dress shoes, sandals, cleats, and athletic shoes in good condition will be sold for a very small profit to a buyer who will then sell the shoes to communities in Mexico for reuse. The small profit that is made benefits the ASU Recycling Program. Many thanks to ASU Surplus Property for their support of the shoe recycling program.

Shredded Paper and Sensitive Documents

Shredded paper is recyclable and therefore, can’t be thrown away. If you have sensitive material you would like shredded, please contact Sonoran Shredders at (480) 677-2383 or the Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired Document Destruction at (602) 267-8740. Both companies recycle the paper they shred.

If your department shreds its own paper, please put it in a clear plastic bag and place it next to the commingled bin(s) in your area.

Styrofoam™

Please email temperecycling@asu.edu for a pickup of large amounts of polystyrene/Styrofoam™ chunks.

Clean polystyrene/Styrofoam™ chunks are taken to EF Block, a company located one mile from the ASU Tempe campus. They use them to make insulative blocks for construction. They do NOT accept cups, trays or packaging peanuts.

Tennis Balls and Golf Balls

TennisBalls

Recycle old tennis balls in the equipment room of the Student Recreation Complex. Muddy, water-logged, or chewed-on tennis balls cannot be recycled. In partnership with reBounces, balls in good condition are re-pressurized; worn-out balls are distributed to adult-care facilities, hospitals, and schools where they are placed on the bottom of furniture and walkers to provide stability, reduce flooring damage and reduce noise pollution. Refurbished balls can also be purchased via reBounces.

Golf Balls

Golf ball recycling is available in the ASU Karsten Golf Shop inside the clubhouse at the ASU Karsten Golf Course (1125 East Rio Salado Parkway Tempe, Arizona 85281). Recycle any brand of used golf balls at the ASU Karsten Golf Course and Dixon Golf will give a credit of up to $12 per dozen toward the purchase of Dixon Earth golf balls. ($1.00 credit for Dixon brand golf balls and $ 0.50 credit for any other brand).

Transparencies

Please send small batches of no more than 50 or 60 transparencies via campus mail to ASU Recycling (mail code: 5112). For larger amounts, please contact recycle-q@asu.edu and specify the location and amount of transparencies you have and a pickup will be arranged.

Transparencies are being collected until we have enough to send to 3M where the transparencies are made into fiber fill for chairs and carpeting, automotive products, more transparency film, insulation, etc.

Tyvek Garments

Waste Management accepts Tyvek garments for recycling. Please accumulate a large number of Tyvek garments before contacting temperecycling@asu.edu to arrange a pickup. Lab garments are cleaned and sold for reuse by those in the automotive industry.

Wood Scraps and Pallets

Please contact Grounds Services for a pickup at (480) 965-9498.

Pallets are picked up by Renovated Metals, a Glendale-based company. Pallets in good condition are refurbished for further use and old pallets are ground into mulch. Wood scraps are currently being stored until we can find a new vendor who can use them locally if possible.

Batteries

Batteries used in ASU operations should be collected in a bin as designated by your department — ask your office manager. Once the bin is full, complete a battery disposal form, then contact Environmental Health & Safety or fill out an online waste pickup request. Please, no wet-cell (car) batteries.

Cell Phones

Thanks to a partnership with Mail Services, recycling personal and ASU cell phones is easy. Place old cell phones in any campus mail bin; do not use an envelope. Any cell phone left in campus mail will be collected for recycling. Please clearly label ASU-owned phones so they can be properly inventoried before recycling, as required by state law.

Corrugated Cardboard and Pizza Boxes

ASU at the Polytechnic campus recycles clean corrugated cardboard. Please place cardboard next to your blue commingled recycling bin or in the dedicated cardboard dumpster located north of the Union. For large quantities, please contact polyrecycling@asu.edu to arrange for disposal. Please flatten cardboard and be sure pizza boxes are free of food residue (sauce, cheese, crust). Please do not place chipboard or paperboard in the corrugated cardboard dumpster.

Film, Media, and Cases

ASU at the Polytechnic campus recycles VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, microfiche/microfilm, jewel cases, and floppy disks. Thanks to a partnership with Mail Services, faculty and staff can place these items in any campus mail bin; do not use an envelope. Items left in campus mail will be collected for recycling. Contact recycling@asu.edu for large quantity pickup. Please erase sensitive data before discarding; ASU and its agents will not be held responsible for any data left on discarded media.

Film, media, and cases in any condition are taken to Westech, a recycling company located near downtown Phoenix. The items are taken apart and the individual parts are recycled. Whenever possible, Westech keeps items in local and regional markets.

Ink and Laser Toner Cartridges

Through a partnership with ASU Stores, recycling ink and toner cartridges is easy at the Polytechnic campus. For pickup, please contact ASU Stores at (480) 965-3772 or asustores@asu.edu. Learn about purchasing remanufactured toner cartridges.

Light Bulbs and CFLs

ASU recycles light bulbs and CFLs (even broken ones) generated through ASU-related operations. Faculty and staff, contact Environmental Health & Safety or fill out an online waste pickup request.

Packaging Material

ASU works with local partners to recycle packaging peanuts, bubble wrap, air pillows, chunks of Styrofoam™, and other packaging materials in good condition. Students, faculty, and staff, please drop materials off at the Higley Post Office (3324 East Ray Road) or Fedex Kinko’s (1820 South Power Road or 3765 South Gilbert Road).

Scrap Metal

ASU sells reclaimed scrap metal, including copper and copper wire, tin, steel, and aluminum, or items that consist primarily of one or all of these materials. To arrange a pickup, contact recycling@asu.edu.

Shredded Paper and Sensitive Documents

Departments at the Polytechnic campus can recycle shredded paper: please put shredded paper in a clear plastic bag and place it next to any commingled recycling bin. If you require document shredding services, contact Sonoran Document Solutions or the Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired Document Destruction. Both companies recycle the paper that they shred.

Transparencies

ASU accepts transparencies for recycling. Please send small batches (approximately 50 or fewer transparencies) via campus mail to ASU Recycling (mail code: 5112). For larger quantities, please contact recycling@asu.edu to arrange pickup.

Corrugated Cardboard

ASU at the Downtown Phoenix campus recycles clean corrugated cardboard. Please place flattened cardboard next to any recycling bin.

Shredded Paper and Sensitive Documents

Departments at the Polytechnic campus can recycle shredded paper: please put shredded paper in a clear plastic bag and place it next to any commingled recycling bin. If you require document shredding services, contact Sonoran Document Solutions or the Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired Document Destruction. Both companies recycle the paper that they shred.

Newspaper

Newspaper can be recycled at ASU West Campus, but must be placed in separate containers. Newspaper recycling containers are located in all offices. Residential bins for newspaper recycling are located at the corner of 49th Ave. and Wood Drive, diagonally across the intersection from Department of Public Safety/Mail Services. Please call Recycling Services at (602) 543-7700 for information.

Aluminum

Aluminum can be recycled in blue plastic barrels located throughout the West campus. Blue barrels are available to departments for aluminum collection. Residential bins for aluminum recycling are located at the corner of 49th Ave. and Wood Drive, diagonally across the intersection from Department of Public Safety/Mail Services. Please call Recycling Services at (602) 543-7700 for more information, to request a recycling container, or to request a pickup.

Cardboard

ASU West recycles corrugated cardboard. Please place flattened cardboard in or near office or department trash cans for collection. Residential bins for cardboard recycling are located at the corner of 49th Ave. and Wood Drive, diagonally across the intersection from Department of Public Safety/Mail Services. Please deposit non-waxed, broken down residential cardboard boxes. Contact Recycling Services at (602) 543-7700 for more information, to request a recycling container, or to request a pickup.