Recyling FAQ's
Have questions about recycling at Stony Brook University? Find clear, straightforward answers to help you recycle correctly and support a more sustainable campus.
Please contact Michael Youdelman at michael.youdelman@stonybrook.edu or (631) 632-9673.
Please fill out and submit a FIXIT work order. Under problem description, select "Recycle" with the appropriate description.
Yes! Each of these can be recycled. Please remove staples, clips, fasteners, metal spirals, or plastic materials from notebooks prior to recycling paper products. These items can go in a waste bin. In the recycling
process, all paper is converted to pulp, and any non-paper items that are mixed in
will be filtered out before the pulp continues through the paper mill.
No. These materials are contaminated and cannot be recycled.
Please flatten large pieces of cardboard and remove all plastics, peanuts, and waste
from the cardboard. Stack the cardboard neatly next to the paper recycling bin.
Yes, but only the cardboard with no food residues (i.e. sauce, cheese, grease). Tear off the clean half and place it in or next to
the paper recycling bin and place the contaminated half in the waste bin. The marketplace
that accepts the cardboard does not tolerate food contamination and may reject an
entire load from the University because they may assume the whole load is contaminated.
Our recycling vendor accepts Plastics #1, #2 and #5 only. Please dispose of any other plastics that do not have these numbers within their
recycling symbol on the packaging.
- Rinse all liquids and contents out of the bottle and cans, as they cannot be recycled if liquid remains inside. Liquid left inside diminishes the value of the material, and also attracts pests.
- There is no need to remove the label.
- Flatten/crush the plastic bottles, place the cap back on and place into a recycling bin (caps are recyclable). This helps improve the storage capacity within containers.
Aluminum is most common, however steel, tin and bi-metal cans can also be recycled.
NYS law requires it! Most e-waste contains hazardous chemicals that end up in landfills
and can leak into our water systems.
Follow these steps to recycle e-waste:
- Place these items in a plastic bag or envelope prior to recycling.
- Locate a double recycling bin on campus to dispose of the items.
Departments can also request toner/ink cartridge recycling bins by submitting a request through the FIXIT work order system.
For a refrigerator, please call Campus Operations and Maintenance at 631-632-6412
to schedule the removal of them prior to recycling the refrigerator. Place these
items outside next to the dumpster closest to your location and our teams will pick
them up and handle them accordingly.
Please contact the Office of Procurement for information.
No. Doing so puts an extra burden on the University's staff and increases our costs.
Please work with your local town or municipality.