Recycling @ UIC

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get extra bins for paper recycling due to a move or office clean out?^
If you have a lot of recyclable paper and no convenient way to recycle it, please contact us by telephone (996-2517) or email by clicking on the "Contact Us" link below to order temporary bins. We can deliver one or more large 90-gallon green recycling totes to your office or department area. Once the bins are full, call us back to ask for replacement bins or request that they be removed. When you correspond, please be ready to give us the following information: your name, department, room number, telephone extension, building number (if you know it), building name, and the nature of your call (i.e. what is happening, what you need, and when). Please try to give us a couple of days notice to answer your request. We can provide prompt, but not same-day, service.
How can I recycle a large quantity of cardboard?^
If you would like a large quantity of cardboard recycled (more than a couple of boxes), please determine where this material can be stored until pick-up. The most common places are by the loading docks and near recycling bins in hallways. You may have to arrange this with your building service worker. Please be sure to remove all Styrofoam and plastic wrap, as these materials are not recyclable, and flatten the boxers to minimize the space they take up. You can then contact us by telephone (996-2517) or email by clicking on the "Contact Us" link below to make the request for the pickup. When you correspond, please be ready to give us the following: your name, department, telephone extension, building number (if you know it), building name, and exactly where the cardboard is being stored.
How can I get new recycling bins for my office or department?^
For UIC Recycling Buildings, please contact us by telephone (996-2517) or email by clicking on the "Contact Us" link below to make the request. We can deliver these bins to your office or department area. We also have desk-sets for paper and waste. When you correspond, please be ready to give us the following information: your name, department, room number, telephone extension, building number (if you know it), building name, and the nature of your call (e.g. we need an additional paper bin and bottle-and-can bin for recycling). If you need multiple gray-and-blue bins, we sometimes will want to visit your office space first to make a quick assessment.

For Green-Tote Buildings, please contact us by telephone or email by clicking on the "Contact Us" link below to make the request. We can deliver the tote to your office or department area. When you correspond, please be ready to give us the following information: your name, department, room number, telephone extension, building number (if you know it), building name, and the nature of your call (e.g. we need an additional green tote for paper recycling).
How can I get more wax-paper liners for my office’s desk sets?^
If you’re in a UIC Recycling building, we can provide small, durable wax-paper liners to your department, for personnel to use in the small hook-on desk-side waste bins. One liner can last for weeks, or longer, but occasionally you will want to replace it. If your department does not have any extra liners, you may request them from us. You may contact us by telephone (996-2517) or email by clicking on the "Contact Us" link below to make the request, and we will send the liners to your office or department via campus mail. When you correspond, please be ready to give us your name, department, telephone extension, building name, and mail code.
How can I get extra trash picked up from an office cleanout or an event?^
Requests for extra garbage pick-ups must be done through the Facilities Management Service Desk, not the UIC Recycling office. You can submit a request through FMweb.
Can I leave staples, envelope closures, and other small pieces of metal in with the paper I recycle?^
Staples do not have to be picked out. They can go into the paper-recycling bin. The same is true for all small pieces of metal like paper clips, envelope closures, etc. The contaminants are removed from the paper by machines at the processor's facility. They are not recycled, but create very little waste. This only applies to small pieces of metal. Plastic and other non-paper products should never go into the paper recycling bin, for example plastic notebook tabs, plastic book covers, or spiral bindings.
Are boxes and packaging such as tissue boxes or egg cartons recyclable?^
This kind of packaging is called "chipboard" and is recyclable. We also recycle empty tissue boxes, empty staple and paper-clip boxes, etc. It is not high-grade paper but it is acceptable.
Can I recycle yogurt containers or plastic plates or cutlery?^
Although yogurt containers sometimes have a #2 plastic symbol on them, they are not recyclable in the UIC Recycling Program. Neither are plastic plates or cutlery. How a product gets recycled depends on how it’s manufactured. Plastic containers that come to a narrow neck can generally be processed. So "check the neck" before putting a container in a recycling bin.
Can Styrofoam be recycled?^
Although Styrofoam is a plastic (#6 polystyrene), it is not acceptable in the UIC Recycling bins. If you have Styrofoam peanuts, they can be brought and donated to the nearest UPS-type store. If you have larger blocks of polystyrene packing that came with new merchandise (esp. common for lab supplies and computers), ask the manufacturer if they can back-haul and reuse the packing.
Can I recycle drinking glasses?^
No, the recycling program does not accept drinking glasses, only bottle-shaped glass.
Can I find good used office furniture and equipment on campus?^
Yes, the university operates a Surplus Warehouse in the Laflin Warehouse Building located at 1515 W. Laflin St. The warehouse phone is 996-2877. Surplus equipment (desks, tables, chairs, file cabinets, shelves, and computers) may be viewed daily Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Please don’t ask for descriptions of available items; go to the warehouse and see what is available for redistribution to university departments for university use only.
How do I dispose of university computers, monitors, printers and other electronic equipment?^
Go to the OBFS home page and click on Equipment Management. You will find a wealth of information about property accounting processes including the disposal and redistribution of equipment. Or, go directly to the OBFS page on equipment disposal where you can find out about all types of disposals. The site offers several links to the Request to Dispose Equipment as Scrap or Surplus form, sign-up for instructor led courses, on-line training materials, and OBFS Business and Financial Policies and Procedures Manual.