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Note: Some buildings may not have the full recycling program yet, and will only have collection bins for paper recycling in 95 gallon "Green Totes."  See building list to see if your building has the full recycling program.

Campus Recycling Program

Paper

Acceptable Materials

Paper clips, staples and rubber bands do not need to be removed!

*Cardboard boxes should be flattened and placed behind recycling station bins

Unacceptable Materials

Acceptability based on current Recycling Services information

Glass, Metal, Plastic (“Bottles & Cans”)

Acceptable Materials

Unacceptable Materials

Acceptability based on Recycling Services information

Pipette Tip Boxes

Starting in 2011, UIC began recycling #5 polypropylene plastic from pipette tip boxes, lids, and trays typically found in Life and Medical Science Laboratories. Pipette tip boxes are to be placed in the specially-marked bins near labs that use pipette tips. They will be recycled and eventually turned into other uses such as agricultural trays for plants. Please do not fill the bin greater than 75% full, as it makes it difficult for UIC Building Service Workers to handle the bag of recycling.

Please note that only #5 type polypropylene plastic from clean, uncontaminated pipette tip boxes, lids, and refillable trays will be accepted. No other lab plastic is accepted. UIC cannot accept pipette tips because they have the potential to puncture and tear open the bags and, more importantly, there is no guarantee that the tips are clean.

By their nature, boxes, lids, and trays are used to store clean plastic (like the tips) so they are inherently clean. Tips, on the other hand, are designed to contain chemicals and biological agents, and should be regarded as trash, or sometimes biohazardous waste. Even if the tips have never been used, they are still treated as trash. If a bag is found to have pipette tips or any other types of lab plastic (e.g. chemical bottles, centrifuge tubes, etc), the entire bag becomes trash.

Currently, bins can be found scattered through the hallways of

• College of Medicine Research Building (COMRB)
• Medical Sciences Building (MSB)
• College of Medicine West Tower (CMWT)
• College of Medicine West (CMW)
• College of Medicine East (CME)
• Clinical Sciences North (CSN)
• Clinical Sciences Building (CSB)
• College of Pharmacy (PHARM)
• Molecular Biology Research Building (MBRB)
• Center for Structural Biology
• Applied Health Sciences Building (AHSB)

To request a bin in you building, please email recycling@uic.edu and tell us your building name and room number.

Battery Recycling on campus

Departments: Before using any method below, please consider organizing a collection within your unit. It may be a more efficient use of staff resources to collect batteries in your office space and have one "green guru" or EcoRep to deliver recyclable batteries to a campus bookstore.

Drop Off

All common batteries* - including rechargeable batteries - may be dropped off at the either campus bookstore location. Simply bring your batteries to the bookstore and look for designated drop off and separation areas, or ask bookstore staff for assistance.

Campus Mail - Small Alkaline Batteries Only

Departments may send non-rechargeable AAA, AA, and 9V Alkaline batteries to the UIC Bookstore (SCE).

Follow these steps:

1. Seal up to four non-rechargeable AAA, AA, and 9V Alkaline batteries in an envelope suitable for campus mail.
2. Address the envelope to: UIC Bookstore, 118 SCE (m/c 120)
3. Place the envelope in your building's campus mail drop box

*The only exclusion from the program is lead-acid batteries. Do not bring lead-acid batteries to the recycling station. If you have lead-acid batteries that are generated by UIC activities, call the Environmental Health and Safety Office at 413-CHEM (413-2436) for disposal instructions.

Toners & Print Cartridge Recycling

UIC Copiers Program

The UIC Copiers program and its partner, the Gordon Flesch Company, are committed to supporting UIC’s sustainability efforts. Faculty and staff may recycle used copier and printer toner cartridges from any manufacturer in two easy ways.

1. Bring your used cartridges to the red drop-off bins on either side of campus:
• East Side - UIC Copy Center, 209 Student Center East (SCE)
• West Side - 1st floor, Student Center West (SCW), across from the Marketplace and just beyond the 818 S. Wolcott entrance.


2. If you are a UIC Copiers customer, have a Gordon Flesch service technician pick up used cartridges during routine maintenance calls.

For further information, call UIC Copiers at 6-3567 or write to uiccopiers@uic.edu.

Cartridge Recycling/Refills at the Bookstores

Both campus bookstores will accept spent ink cartridges for recycling, and can refill spent cartridges for a fee. Visit or contact one of the bookstores to learn more:

Food Scrap Composting

UIC is currently preparing to offer food scrap composting in certain buildings on campus. To learn more, visit the Office of Sustainability blog.

Writing Implements

Starting in 2011, UIC is participating in a Terracycle Brigade to collect and recycle used writing utensils. To learn more about this program, contact the Office of Sustainability.

Office Furniture and Surplus

Used, but useful, surplus equipment can be redistributed at the Laflin Warehouse Building, 1514 S Laflin St. The hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can call the warehouse staff at 996-2877. (Note: the campus shuttle bus does not go by the warehouse. Parking is available on Laflin Street by the front door). Please don’t call them for descriptions of available furniture; you need to visit the warehouse yourself to look over the inventory.

Keep unwanted material out of landfills

To dispose of unwanted furniture or equipment, start at the OBFS website. You will find the “Request to Dispose of Equipment as Scrap or Surplus” form. Complete and submit the form to obfsuafrproperty@uillinois.edu. The Property Accounting Office will review the form for completeness and return it to you. You are to contact Facilities Management Transportation to schedule a pick-up of the items for delivery to the warehouse if usable (surplus). Equipment no longer usable (scrap) will be properly disposed in accordance with campus policy.

Reclaim useful furniture

An ever changing inventory of computers, monitors, tables, chairs, desks, file cabinets, and shelving is available for transfer to university departments/units. This equipment cannot be redirected for personal and must be used solely for university business.

The transfer process begins by going to the OBFS website to find the form, “Interdepartmental Transfer of Equipment”. Complete the form and submit it to the Property Accounting Office by emailing it to obfsuafrproperty@uillinois.edu. Property Accounting will review the transfer and direct you to contact the FM transportation for a work order to schedule the pick-up and delivery of the equipment to your facility.

Get help

You can also call the UIC Property Accounting Office at 996-2858 for more information about the process for redistribution or disposal of university equipment.

Office Electronics

Any equipment belonging to the university must be disposed of in accordance with the OBFS Equipment Disposal Methods. Additional information about the disposal of equipment as scrap or surplus can be found within the OBFS Equipment Management webpages. Questions may be directed to the Property Accounting & Reporting Office at obfsuafrproperty@uillinois.edu or 312-996-2858.

All other materials

Materials unlisted on this page may not be compatible with existing UIC Recycling services.  To find out the best place to recycle something not listed above, check Earth911.com or the Office of Sustainability resources page.

Read on to learn more about the Recycling Process, Data Reporting, RecycleMania, or go back to the Recycling Program.

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