What we recycle
Learn what you can recycle at the University of Toronto’s St. George campus and help divert recyclable and organic materials from landfill. By avoiding contamination that occurs when placing your waste in the wrong place, you can stop items from being sent to landfill that could otherwise be recycled.
You can recycle all types of household and electronic batteries on campus. Look for the beige, dome topped containers.
Battery pick up and disposal is handled by the Environmental Protection Services team. If you need to dispose of large, irregular or numerous batteries, please call 416-946-3473.
Bedding is collected from a number of labs on campus and transported by our contractor to be composted off campus.
All books may be sent to the Swap Shop for reuse. Small quantities can be recycled in blue toters. For large quantities, call 416-946-5711.
Recycling depots for recyclable containers are found inside and outside campus buildings. Please remove excess food and liquid before recycling.
Accepted items include:
- Aluminum trays
- Glass
- Metal food and beverage containers
- Milk and juice cartons (flattened)
- Plastic (plastic bottles; clear, formed plastic, i.e., cups, trays and lids, food containers)
- Polystyrene (styrofoam) cups, shells and lid
Paper coffee cups can be recycled. Please place them in their designated compartments in recycling depots or dedicated containers.
Paper sleeves can be recycled with paper. Polystyrene lids should be removed and placed with recyclable containers.
No styrofoam! Please place with recyclable containers.
Please flatten boxes and place them in designated collection areas.
Functional items can be reused through the Swap Shop. Broken items can be picked up for recycling. Please don’t put any item that has a cord in the trash.
All software (i.e., floppy disks, CDs) is also collected.
Departments require a work order for large amounts. Items may also be dropped off at the Swap Shop. Call 416-946-5711.
All types of films can be recycled. Call Waste Management and Recycling for a pickup at 416-946-5711.
All lights and tubes are collected by the Caretaking team and put out for recycling.
Usable items can be sent to the Swap Shop. Broken items may be recycled as scrap wood or metal. Call 416-946-5711 to request an assessment.
Pre-consumer food waste is collected from kitchens across campus. Post-consumer food waste is also collected from numerous locations on campus.
Green bins for post-consumer material can be found in kitchenettes across campus.
Green bins for public use are set up at cafeterias and food counters in a number of areas including:
- Bahen Centre
- Gerstein Library
- Innis College
- Koffler Multi-Faith Centre
- Koffler Student Centre
- Medical Sciences
- Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
- Robarts
- Rotman School of Management
- Sidney Smith
- Sylvester’s Cafe at Graduate Student Union
- Woodsworth College
Please don’t put garbage, polystyrene containers or regular plastic bags in the green bins.
Mixed paper — copy, binder, computer, fax and fax paper, text books, newspapers, magazines, clean paper towels , clean napkins, clean tissue, empty paper bags, Bristol board, illustration board, boxboard (i.e., tissue, ink jet cartridge, cereal and snack boxes etc.) — is collected in five ways:
- in large blue toters located in hallways (check list on toter lid for acceptable materials)
- in blue boxes in work areas and labs
- in blue desk-side recycling containers (please empty your own into a nearby toter or blue box)
- in the 3- or 4-compartment depots located inside and outside buildings
- in large, blue clean out toters – call 416-946-5711 to request
Foam packaging for shipping computers, equipment etc. should be placed in clear, plastic bags and left in designated collection areas. Don’t recycle WHMIS-labelled foam boxes.
Laser, inkjet and photocopier cartridges should not be thrown away. Please do not dispose of ink and powder in the trash.
Many laser printer and photocopier cartridges have shipping labels included with them. Departments should return them to the manufacturer first. For items without labels, call the Waste Management and Recycling team at 416-946-5711 to arrange a pick up.
Cartridges should not to be sent through campus mail.
Fridges, freezers, centrifuges, icemachines, and other freon-containing equipment must be handled in accordance with Ministry of Environment guidelines. Don’t remove the equipment from the building or place it in a hallway. A service order must be completed to have the Moving Services properly dispose of the equipment as well as cover any freon removal/disposal.
Before any equipment can be removed it must be free of all chemical, biological, radioactive or other hazardous materials and substances. Any equipment containing asbestos requires special disposal.
All cassette and reel to reel tapes and cases are recyclable. Call the Waste Management and Recycling team at 416-946-5711 to arrange a pick up.
Small amounts of acetate sheets used for overhead projections can be sent via campus mail to the Office of Waste Management, 487 Spadina Ave. Envelopes only. Do not mail boxes or tubes.
For larger amounts, call 416-946-5711. Please ensure they are not crumpled and that no paper separators are included.
Sort and stack items neatly in the area of building designated for such material. Please don’t place materials out in shiping and receiving areas unless space is designated for that purpose.