Waste and Recycling Guidelines

• What’s Included: Empty #1- #5 plastic containers such as water bottles, milk jugs, yogurt cups, laundry detergent bottles; metal cans, clean aluminum foil; glass bottles and jars.

  • No liquids or food!

  • Still in doubt? Throw it out! It’s better to put unknown containers in the trash stream to avoid contaminating the entire commingled bin. 

• Bin Locations: Look for blue, labelled, commingled bins at recycling stations typically located near stairwells and communal kitchens in most buildings on campus. 

  • In some residence halls (Pomeroy, Beebe, Munger, and Severance), take commingled items to trash and recycling rooms located in the basement.

• Destination: Covanta Recycling Facility, MA 

• What’s Included: flattened cardboard shipping boxes; flattened chipboard cereal/food boxes; newspaper; paper notebooks (wire is okay); softcover books

  • No greasy paper or used napkins/tissues

  • Textbooks/hardcover books should be donated during moveout

  • Still in doubt? Throw it out! It’s better to put unknown materials in the trash stream to avoid contaminating the entire paper bin. 

• Bin Locations: Look for gray, labelled, paper & cardboard bins at recycling stations typically located near stairwells and communal kitchens in most buildings on campus. 

  • In some residence halls (Pomeroy, Beebe, Munger, and Severance), take paper & cardboard items to trash and recycling rooms located in the basement

  • Sometimes 

• Destination: Wellesley Recycling & Disposal Facility (RDF)

• What’s Included: All food scraps (including meat, bones and dairy); teabags, ground coffee and filters; napkins and paper towels; BPI-certified compostable cups, plates, utensils etc.

  • No liquids!

• Bin Locations: Look for green and labelled bins located at the recycling stations in the Lulu Wang Campus Center and in the dining halls. 

  • If a compost bin is unavailable, these items should go in the trash 

• Destination: Agri-Cycle Energy Exter, ME

• What’s Included: Food wrappers; styrofoam containers; plastic utensils; paper cups; soiled paper, tissues - anything that cannot be recycled! 

• Bin Locations: Look for black, labelled, trash bins at recycling stations typically located near stairwells and communal kitchens in most buildings on campus. 

• Destination: Covanta Facility, MA

• What’s Included: batteries (tape the ends); small electronics; lightbulbs (wrap in bubble wrap); thermometers and other items containing mercury; pesticides

• Bin Locations: There are special gray and purple recycling bins for universal waste in each dorm (on 1st floors or in laundry rooms, ask your EcoRep if you are having trouble finding them), the Knapp Center (1st floor of Clapp Library), and the Science Center.

• Destination: Complete Recycling Solutions (CRS) in Fall River, MA

The main purpose of recycling is to decrease the amount of natural resources required to make new products and materials. By recycling, we can reduce the need to find, extract, and process both renewable and non-renewable resources such as timber and oil. Additionally, recycling helps to lower the amount of waste sent to incinerators and landfills (source).

If a material is not on the recycling signs, you can contact sustainability@wellesley.edu to learn how to properly dispose of the item.

Commingled means ‘mixed’. At Wellesley, our commingled stream is made up of different but similar materials in that they are sent to the same recycling facility, and do not generate enough waste to have separate bins on campus. Once the commingled recycling items reach the Covanta Recycling Facility to be processed, the plastic, glass, and metal items are sorted and recycled accordingly.

Universal waste are materials that would normally be hazardous wastes but are commonly used/disposed so more accessible regulations are necessary to encourage recycling and proper disposal of these materials. Common universal waste items include handlheld electronics, batteries, and fluorescent lightbulbs. For more information on types and how to dispose, please see the main recycling page. 

Most rooms will have a recycling bin, but to help make recycling easier the Office of Sustainability created the recycling bag program. Started in 2019, each incoming student is given a reusable bag during Orientation to use and transport their recycling from their rooms to the recycling bins on each floor. These bags also have recycling guidelines on them. If you need a new bag, contact sustainability@wellesley.edu.

Due to confidentiality rules, the Office of Sustainability does not offer shredding services.

Small electronics (phones, gaming devices etc..) can be placed in Universal Waste bins. Larger electronics or bulk disposals may require specialized pick up, which can be arranged through the EHS Hazardous Waste Management Page.

The Office of Sustainability typically only collects donations during the month of May through the sust bins placed in the residence halls for move-out. Please visit the Move-in/Move-out page to see if your materials can be accepted.

Dorm items are sold at discounted price to incoming students during the August Sustainability Sale. Anything that cannot be sold at the sale is donated or if possible, recycled. Clothing and textiles are typically donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Natick and in the Spring of 2020, Wellesley College donated 8,840 lbs of clothing to Big Brother Big Sisters!