Recycling

At Furman, students, faculty and staff are actively involved in the effort to reduce waste and recycle. The campus has developed a recycling program in conjunction with its waste hauler, Waste Management. The existing program has been reasonably successful with regards to residence hall recycling, but could be improved in recycling for move-in and move-out days and for campus athletic and social events. The university also hopes to be able to provide all residents with a recycling bin for their rooms. In addition to recycling, Furman has in the past teamed with local charities such as Habitat for Humanity and Goodwill to provide separate dumpsters to collect used goods for donation during move out. Local food banks have also benefited from the university's work to collect canned goods from students as they clean out their kitchens at the end of the year.

Here is current information on what we can recycle on campus.

Plastic bottles and jugs Do not worry about the numbers. Any plastic where the neck is smaller than the body is acceptable.

Aluminum and other metal cans

Paper: white, colored, shredded, newspaper, envelopes, post it notes, magazines, etc. You do not need to remove staples.

Cardboard: cardboard packaging (remove any Styrofoam or plastic fillers) cereal boxes, tissue boxes, pizza boxes (if not greasy). Please break down larger cardboard boxes and take them to the cardboard dumpsters at the University Center, Plyler Hall, Younts, Dining Hall (loading dock) or the Physical Activities Center.

All of our recycling gets picked up single stream (meaning everything together) and is sorted by people and machines at the recycling center. The reason we have separate containers in places for paper is to keep the paper clean and dry so the fiber can be recycled.

Other recycling:

Electronic Waste (computers, cell phones, cords, batteries, and other electronic equipment) can be taken to the blue bins marked E-Waste under the stairs on the first floor of the University Center.

Florescent bulbs (contain a small amount of mercury) - Call Facilities services if you have a burned out florescent tube in your office or room. Compact florescent bulbs can be dropped off in the office of James Wilkins in the lower level of Earle Infirmary. For those of you needing to recycle compact florescent bulbs at home you can take them to your closest Home Depot.

What we DO NOT recycle at Furman:

GLASS is not presently part of our formal campus recycling program. Groups of people do take glass to be recycled in their own vehicles to the recycling drop off center at the Bi-lo in Travelers Rest (or to another county or city recycling center).

Please do not put the following in any recycle bin: food; soiled, wet, or dirty paper products; plastic utensils; Styrofoam; snack bags; greasy pizza boxes; waxed cardboard (e.g. orange juice cartons); wax paper; incandescent light bulbs; and cellophane.

Also please see the recycling page on the Green Guide to Sustainable Living at Furman at: http://ees.furman.edu/greenguide/Three%20Rs.html

For people interested in recycling outside of Furman or places they can take material that we do not recycle on campus please see: http://www.greenvillecounty.org/solid_waste/

We are actively working to improve Furman's recycling program and value your input. Please share your questions, concerns and ideas with the Center for Sustainability at sustainability@furman.edu.