Columbia University Housing

Don’t believe the rumors that recycling doesn't happen on campus, or that recycling has been cancelled in Manhattan. Both at Columbia and in the city, recycling is back in a big way, so here's how to make the most of their services.

• Do you know what can or cannot be recycled? Columbia recycling follows the same guidelines as the New York Department of Sanitation.

The following items go in the GREEN “All Paper” bin:

Paper:

• white, colored, and glossy paper (staples OK; no spiral bindings)
• mail and envelopes
• wrapping paper (remove ribbon and tape)
• paper bags
• paper trays
• newspapers, magazines, and catalogs
• phone books, soft cover books (paperbacks, comic books, etc.)

Cardboard:

• smooth cardboard (food boxes — remove inside & outside plastic wrappers — shoe boxes, tubes from paper towel and toilet paper rolls, cardboard from product packaging)
• egg cartons
• corrugated cardboard (flattened boxes)

These items go in the BLUE “Bottles and Cans” bin.

Glass

Metal:

• metal cans (such as tuna, empty aerosol cans, empty and dried-out paint cans with lids removed)
• aluminum foil wrap & trays
• wire hangers, pots, and pans

Plastic:

• Only #1 and #2 labeled plastics can go in the recycling bin – that means no deli or yogurt containers or plastic cups.
• Milk and juice cartons: These can be recycled as well in the blue “Bottles and Cans” bin – just give them a quick rinse first so they don’t start to stink.

You can recycle used batteries in the recycling center in Lerner Hall.

If you are ever unsure on where to dispose of an item, check the complete list of recyclables on the Office of Environmental Stewardship website.

Look at the bin you’re dumping in! If the slightest bit of trash gets in a recycling bin, that bin is contaminated and nothing inside of it can be recycled.