For students
- Batteries
- Drop them in the battery collection bucket at the main desk area of any residence hall. You can also find collection buckets in classroom buildings.
- Phones
- In New York State, any business that sells mobile phones or mobile phone plans must accept cell phones for recycling. Visit any one of these businesses to recycle your phone.
- Other E-waste
- Companies such as Best Buy and Apply will recycle your electronics. Drop off your devices at a location nearby or ship it. Visit the company’s website to follow their shipping instructions.
- Plastic Bags
- Plastic bags can be recycled at large stores, shopping malls, and medium to large chain stores such as Wegmans. Plastic bags and other film plastics that are being returned should be free of debris.
For University employees
- Batteries
- There should be at least one battery collection bucket per floor of your building. Buckets are often located near hallway recycling receptacles. If there is not a bucket on your floor, call the main number for the Environmental Health Office (EHO) at 443-4132.
- Printer/copier cartridges
- Materials Distribution accepts and will pick up cartridges of any type. You’ll need to fill out a pick-up/delivery form found on https://bfas.syr.edu/facilities/materials-distribution/. Please contact Materials Distribution directly at 315.443.3172 for requests for cartridge pickup. Cartridges must be in boxes.
- Durable electronic equipment (computers, etc.) owned by the University
- Contact Materials Distribution for help in arranging to either: (a) re-sell working equipment through the Excess Property Disposal Program, or (b) recycle broken items through the University’s e-waste disposal contract.
- Note: Equipment must be data-sanitized (hard drive wiped) by an information technology support person prior to sale or transfer. For more information, see the University policy on Data Removal from Computers and Portable Electronic Devices here.
Once batteries are picked up by Environmental Health and Safety Services (EHSS), they are sorted. The alkaline, single use (considered non-hazardous waste) batteries go the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA) Transfer Station. The rechargeable batteries i.e., lithium-ion, cell phone, Nickel Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydride, button batteries (can potentially be considered hazardous waste) get sent to a battery recycler named Call2Recycle. EHSS also collects lead acid batteries which get taken to a local scrap metal recycler.
E-waste is picked up by the University’s Facility and Distribution Services and stored at the Hawkins warehouse. Once there is enough waste for a truckload, the company EWASTE+ is contacted and picks up the materials.