Did you know that recycling is one of the easiest and most accessible ways for you to reduce your carbon footprint? According to the EPA, recycling provides an annual benefit of 49.7 million metric tons of carbon equivalent emissions reduced! That is comparable to removing 39.4 million passenger cars from the road each year!

Fortunately for us, SOU has its own recycling center! Built in 2011, the recycling center was designed by students in order to close the gap between production and disposal, hence the name “Full Circle” Recycling.

On average, SOU’s Recycling Center sorts through more than 7,000 pounds of recycling each month and the campus diverts 62% of its waste from landfills! Your fellow students are the ones who sort
through every item tossed into the blue and red bins on campus. Considering this, we each need to be more mindful of what we are placing in our recycling bins!

Most bins on campus feature a sign or list outlining what should and should not be placed in each bin. Please look before you toss!

There are a few common contaminants that are most often found in the recycling that many of us believe are recyclable:

1. Coffee Cups!!!! Both paper and plastic coffee or beverage cups are not recyclable in southern Oregon. The cardboard hand protectors are recyclable but the coffee cups are coated in a wax or plastic lining that makes them not recyclable.
2.  Tissues/paper towels! Although these are paper products, they are a lower grade than printer and notebook paper, and thusly cannot be recycled.
3. Food Packaging!! To-go containers, plastic clamshells and paper bags like the ones given out at Einstein’s for bagels are not recyclable. Like the coffee cups, they are often lined with wax or plastic, making them impossible to recycle in our region.
4. Another item that causes some confusion is batteries! Unfortunately, we cannot recycle alkaline batteries at this time, but Facilities Management and Planning does accept rechargeable batteries for recycling.

If you would like to learn more about recycling, or to schedule a training for your club or department, email:

sustainability@sou.edu

or call

541.552.8139

Also, keep an eye out for the SOU Housing Recycling Competition coming in February 2017!

Finally, don’t forget, America Recycles Day is November 15, 2016!