To keep you informed about how to recycle at Western Kentucky University, we have this oh-so-handy Services and Guidelines page; the Do's & Don'ts of Recycling. You'll quickly learn what we can recycle, what items are acceptable, and why some items are not.
There is a recycling collection center behind the Services and Suppy building. Feel free to stop by and drop off your recycling whenever you would like. Just be sure to follow the guidelines on what materials are OKAY and NOT OKAY.
My Location: across from Creason Parking lot and softball field, close to railroad tracks at Services and Supply Parking lot, corner of University Blvd. & Russellville Rd.
My Diet: Paper, #1 & #2 Plastic Bottles, and Brown, Clear, and Green Glass.
Please don't feed me: Plastic Bags & Cardboard.
My Location: Same parking lot as Big Red.
My Diet: Aluminum Cans
Please don't feed me: Plastic Bags & Cardboard.
This section of our handy-dandy guide carries a lot of negative no-no weight to it, but following these rules will help keep recycling efficient and successful. On a scale of 1 to 10, these rules are a "15".
- DO NOT throw trash into any recycling receptacle
- DO NOT mix Cardboard with your Office Paper in a single bag or box
- DO NOT feed Big Red your Cardboard
- DO NOT feed Big Red any Plastic Bags
- DO NOT, if you use bags, overload them with Office Paper
- DO NOT leave packing material in your shipping boxes
- DO NOT leave your shipping boxes unflattened, unless you use them to hold smaller cardboard items
- DO NOT leave any metal fasteners, except for staples, on your Office Paper
- DO NOT mix Bound Books with your Office Paper
- DO NOT put Paper Towels or Tissues with your Office Paper
Office Paper
Copy Paper
Loose Papers
Newspaper
Pocket Folders (Without Prongs)*
Manilla Folders
Post-it Notes
Envelopes (Windowed too)
Glue Bound Paper
Books (Hard- or Paperback)
Magazines
Slick Paper
Cardboard of any kind
Paper Clips and Metal Fasteners
Plastic Sleeves
Shredded Paper
Paper recycling bins are located next to desks, in offices, classrooms, and in computer labs. WKU Recycling is working to earn funds to buy additional paper collection bins for all campus buildings. You can put nearly all paper into these bins (see guidelines above). Buidling Service Attendents collect the paper and take it to the larger collection bins outside each building where WKU Recycling picks it up. If you need a bin for paper, please contact us and we will try to get you one.
- Cardboard is not the same as Paper. Please do not mix your Cardboard with your Paper.
- Plastic Spiral Bound pages are Office Paper minus the Spirals.
- Loosen one loop on either end and quickly jerk to easily remove binding.
- For Spiral Notebooks ripping the pages out is the only way to go. Remove the pages in thin bundles, not as a whole. It's much easier.
- Staples here and there are perfectly fine, but make sure you remove larger metal fasteners.
- Please, please, please, if you recycle your paper in bags do not overfill the bags.
- Overladen, heavy bags will rip.
- Remember it takes people to haul it on the truck, be considerate.
- And finally, DO NOT contaminate your Paper with anything not on the Okay list. This definitely includes trash and food. In fact this rule will apply to every single one of our recyclable materials. DO NOT intermix categories. DO NOT throw trash in our recycling bins unless you plan on cleaning it up!
Glue Bound Paper
Paperback Books
Hardback Books
Magazines
Slick Paper
Catalogs
Newspaper
Phonebooks
Office Paper
Copy Paper
Loose Paper
Pocket Folders
Manilla Folders
Post-it Notes
Envelopes
Carboard of any kind
Paper Clips and Metal Fasteners
Plastic Sleeves
Shredded Paper
Your books, magazines, catalogs and phone books cannot be recycled with your other paper or your cardboard. If you have a large volume of these, contact WKU Recycling for a special pick-up. Otherwise, save them for our Book Drive Week (details below).
- Please keep from feeding these materials to our Big Red. He cannot digest glue and glossy inks very well.
- Office Paper and Books should not co-mingle.
- Can your books wait to be recycled? Store them out of the way until our timely Book Drive.
- During Book Drive Week each semester, you can bring your boxes of books to your building's recycling area for pick-up by the Recycling Crew.
- Although materials are preferably picked up at recycling areas, we will be happy to arrange special pick-ups within buildings if you need assistance carrying your books.
- In this case contact us by e-mail for pick up.
Corrugated Cardboard
(Shipping Boxes)
Thin Cardboard
(Cereal & Snack Boxes)
Cardboard Pulp*
Paper of any kind
Books (Hard- or Paperback)
Magazines
Slick Paper
Paper Clips and Metal Fasteners
Shredded Paper
You can recycle your cardboard no matter where you are on campus. Simply break all cardboard boxes down flat and take them to your building's recycling pick-up area (usually in the basement or just outside). If you don't know the location of your pick-up area, contact us with the name of your building and we'll let you know where it is. If you live in a Residence Hall, you can break down your cardboard and take it to the Big Red dumpster behind Service and Supply, in the recycling collection area. Members of the community are encouraged to use this cardboard collection bin as well!
- Please break down and fold flat all of your cardboard.
- Please do not feed your any of your Cardboard to Big Red. Cardboard and paper are processed separately.
- We have another bin, Bigger Red, but he is less docile and if tempermental can be really dangerous. For our Campus Recyclers' safety we will not divulge his location.
- Even if you know where Bigger Red is, please only let authorized personel handle him.
- There is however a Cardboard Bin next to Big Red out at Services and Supply. All your Cardboard can be brought here.
- Make sure when using the Cardboard Bin, that your Cardboard is broken down and flattened.
- Please always remember it is easier for us if your cardboard is completely broken down and folded flat. The quicker we can get through loading up one building's recycling the faster we can start on another building, and in turn provide quick enough service for all of campus.
- For small Thin Cardboard items, we suggest placing all these into a larger Cardboard box. These items will be easier to transport and remain neat and non-messy.
- When recycling Cardboard Shipping Boxes (Corrugated) please remove any non-Cardboard items. Packing peanuts and styrofoam are frowned upon. Cardboard Pulp forms are okay though.
- DO NOT mix your Cardboard with your Office Paper. These categories go to separate locations to be independently processed.
Clean Aluminum Foil (No Greasy Items)
Aluminum can recycling is available in all Residence Halls, in a few buildings, and at WKU Tailgating events. The Recycling collection area behind Service and Supply includes a "Drive to a Million" aluminum recycling bin. We appreciate any aluminum that is put into this bin, as aluminum is a valuable recyclable and all revenue from cans is re-invested into our recycling program!
Soda Bottles
Milk Jugs
Plastic Bags
Styrofoam
Plastic recycling bins can be found in Residence Halls, and in some buildings. WKU Recycling is working to earn money to purchase bins for plastic collection. In the meantime, you have several options:
- You can purchase a bin for your department, floor, or building for plastic collection and arrange with WKU Recycling to have the bottles picked up from your building's recycling area. You are responsible for getting your plastic recycling from inside your building to outside, and we will take it from there.
- You can collect your plastic and take it to the Big Red Bin at Surplus and Supply. Please remember to empty contents of bottles, #1 and #2 plastic only, and no plastic bags in the bin.
- You can just say no to plastic!
The initial origin of aluminum is a mining process for the ore. The process is very energy consuming and isn't really sustainable, but when an aluminum product is produced its material can be recycled to make more aluminum products. Aluminum recycling is less damaging to the Earth, conserves our raw aluminum resources, and can be repeated many times over.
The initial origin of our "valuable" plastics is our—get this—our very valuable oil. Yes, that is the same barrel of oil that your gas was refined from. How much is oil per barrel these days? Now think about how much Plastic we use. Our rising market prices aren't just from gas and the cost of transport. We use oil for our plastic products and their plastic packaging, and so the things we keep buying keep inflating in price. Now combine these facts with plastic's terrible recyclability. Viola! The Thunderdome doesn't seem too unlikely anymore now does it?
Green Glass
Brown Glass
Plastic Bottles
There are no glass recycling collection bins in campus buildings, but there is a section for green, brown and clear glass in the Big Red bin located behind Service and Supply.
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Campus Battery Recycling Centers-
Building Location Academic Complex First Floor Lobby Agriculture Exposition Center Room 120 Barnes-Campbell Hall Main Lobby Bates-Runner Hall Main Lobby Bemis-Lawrence Hall Main Lobby Center for Engineering & Biology Room 2109 Center for Engineering & Biology Room 2123 Center for Engineering & Biology Room 2140 Community College Room 103 Craig Alumni Center Kitchen Cravens Graduate Center Lobby Entrance E.A. Diddle Arena Ground Level Concession Area Downing University Center First Floor Concession Area Environmental, Health & Safety Conference Room Environmental Science & Technology Hall Main Lobby Facilities Management Stockroom Faculty House Kitchen Garrett Conference Center Main Lobby Gordon Wilson Hall Rear Stairwell Heat Plant Front Boiler Room Helm Library Student Lounge Honors Center, The Reception Area Industrial Education Building South Stairwell Institute for Economic Development Continuing Education Workroom Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center 2nd Floor Concession Area Jones-Jaggers Hall Front Lobby J.T. Gilbert Hall Main Lobby Keen Hall Main Lobby McCormack Hall Main Lobby McLean Hall Main Lobby Minton Hall Main Lobby Meredith Hall Main Lobby North-East Hall Main Lobby Pearce-Ford Tower Main Lobby Poland Hall Main Lobby Potter Hall 2nd Floor Restroom Alcove Preston Center, The Main Lobby Rodes-Harlin Hall Main Lobby Science & Technology Hall 2nd Floor Concession/Recycling Area Smith Stadium Hallway at Room 129 South-West Hall Main Lobby Supply-Services Building Room 108 Tate C. Page Hall 2nd Floor Concession Area Thompson Complex Center Wing Main Lobby Thompson Complex North Wing First Floor Lobby Van Meter Hall Main Lobby Van Meter Hall Telecommunications Office Wetherby Administration Building Basement Concession Area WKU Police Department New Police Annex
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