The following outlines what is acceptable to recycle at Purdue University. If in doubt about the material that is referred to on this list or if you have questions, contact the Refuse and Recycling Coordinator at the Physical Facilities Grounds Department at (765) 49-40194 or by fax (765) 496-2824.
Office Paper
Please Put in the Office Paper bin:
- Any type of copier, printing, computer or notepad paper; it can be any thickness and this also includes direct mail (junk business mail)
- Plain business-style envelopes and any window envelopes are acceptable as recyclable office paper
- NCR (carbonless) paper or forms
- Plain paper FAXes
- Manila file folders with labels attached to them
- Stapled booklets or brochures ( with or without glossy covers) are acceptable
- Paper with Post-it notes or self-adhesive labels are OK; staples or paper clips attached to paper are also OK
Do NOT put in the office paper bin:
- Newspaper, telephone books, magazines or glue bound books of any kind -- they must be kept separate!
- Brown Kraft (campus mail) mailing envelopes
- Thermal (roll-style) FAX paper
- Forms which have carbon paper inside them
- Cardboard or paperboard, such as tablet backs
- Trash, such as food wrappers, paper towels, facial tissues
- Plastics (projector transparencies), glass or metals
- Wrappers from copier or laser printer paper
Mixed Paper
Acceptable material is any type of paper other than office paper.
Call the Refuse and Recycling Office at (765) 494-0194 for more information on how to recycle mixed paper on campus.
Cardboard
Acceptable material is any corrugated material. (Please ensure that the cardboard is flattened and bundled).
Unacceptable Materials:
- empty cereal boxes
- empty pizza boxes
- cardboard milk or juice cartons
- wax-coated cardboard
Newspaper
Acceptable material -- newpaper and newspaper inserts; newspaper in kraft paper sacks are also accepted. Look for newspaper recycling containers in Residence Halls and around campus.
Plastic and Glass Bottles and Metal Beverage Cans
Plastic and glass can be co-mingled, whereas aluminum cans need to be recycled separately. The plastic and glass is taken to the Material Recovery Facility located in Muncie, Indiana where it is sorted. The aluminum is taken to the local metal vendor for recycling.