Like every institution, the University of Baltimore generates hundreds of tons of waste materials every year. On the bright side, UBalt also recycles much of what the community tosses out. Waste reduction and high recycling rates are a long-standing UBalt goal, but our success depends on you.
To recycle at UBalt, find a blue bin and deposit your materials. Every time you do so, you are part of the vital process of reuse and renewal.
|
Accepted Materials (blue bins) |
Non-Accepted Materials (grey bins) |
|---|---|
| Newspapers, magazines, paperback books, all paper | Food, liquid, plastic utensils, and heavily soiled items |
| Cereal boxes, frozen food packaging, other cardboard, and pizza boxes (if unsoiled) | Styrofoam, carry-out or deli food containers, waxed cups, toilet tissue, Kleenex, coffee grounds, and tea bags |
| Most common plastics include bottles and jars (often labeled #1 and #2); please rinse if heavily soiled | Plastic bags and wrappers, #6 plastics, and unnumbered plastics |
| Milk and juice cartons | Batteries, electronics, light bulbs |
| Glass bottles and jars | Coat hangers, spiral bound notebooks |
| Metal cans | Cookware, ceramics, porcelain |
Other ways you can recycle and cut down on waste
- Unwanted clothes: Consider dropping off these items at Goodwill Industries or Salvation Army. Click here for more information from the Department of Public Works
- Electronics: Baltimore City residents can visit drop-off centers, which accept more than 32 types of e-cycle materials ranging from cell phones, gaming consoles, ink and toner cartridges, to network cables, modems, microwaves, CD and DVD players, fax machines and many more items
- Lightbulbs, batteries and other household hazardous waste: You are strongly urged to recycle these items using Baltimore City facilities. Click here for more information on disposing hazardous waste
- Click here for a link to acceptable recycling items if you live in Baltimore City and here's a list for Baltimore County
The nearest Baltimore City Citizen Drop-Off Center to UBalt is the Northwest Citizens' Convenience Center at 2840 Sisson St. It's about two miles from campus.
Recycling System
Blue recycling bins are available across the campus. They are paired with grey trash bins cans so you can dispose of trash and recycling in one place.
We process recycling by taking the full liner bags from trash cans (clear bags) and recycling bins (green bags) and separate the bags at a sorting station on the Oliver Street lot.
During the initial UBalt Green Pledge 78% of the participants agreed to recycle.
Recycling Facts
- We use over 80 billion aluminum cans every year (an aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now)
- One American uses about 680 lbs. of paper per year and all of America uses 85 million tons of paper a year
- The average household throws away 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year (most is packaging and junk mail)
- A ton of recycled plastic saves 685 gallons of oil
Form a new GREEN habit by bringing a reusable water bottle with you and fill it up at one of these fountains. Stop wasting money on those plastic water bottles.
These fountains have helped UBalt reduce the use of plastic, plus they encourage us to drink water, as opposed to sugary drinks.
Benefits of Carrying a Reusable Bottle- Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour
- Recycling one ton of plastic bottles saves the equivalent energy usage of a two person household for one year
- By using reusable drink containers an average person can eliminate the need for 100 disposable bottles per year
- Enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the Earth four times
Bottles Saved by Building (as of December 13, 2017)
| Location | # of Bottles Saved |
| Academic Center (8 fountains) | 29,720 |
|
Business Center (5) |
19,484 |
| Learning Commons (4) | 8,322 |
| Student Center (4) | 7,927 |
| Liberal Arts and Policy (4) | 9,548 |
| Charles Royal | 12,747 |
E-cycling Event
The Office of Facilities Management invites students, staff, and faculty to bring in unwanted electronic devices. Donated items will be repurposed and resold if usable, or they will be recycled in an environmentally safe and secure manner.
We will be collecting items starting next week on Wednesday, April 18, through Friday, April 20. The bins will be located in the lobby of the Learning Commons. There will be three bins and they will be labeled so please use them accordingly. Click here to find a list of acceptable items.
Please note that electronic items purchased by UBalt must be placed in the proper bin for inventory control.