Recycling Department

Recycle

The Recycling division helps to protect the UNM and New Mexico environment by diverting recyclable materials from landfill and ensuring diverted materials are beneficially reused. We collect potentially recyclable materials, such as paper, cardboard, Styrofoam and pallets from UNM campus facilities and store or process the materials for off-site reclamation.

Throughout campus there are recycling stations.  These stations are designed to help the UNM community recycle.  The stations are clearly labeled and easy to use.

Recycling bins are delivered to dorms every two weeks for students’ convenience.  The only exception is the Student Residence Center which has access to 30-yard recycling bins on the south side of the complex. Call 277-1681 to find out your dorm’s schedule.

The Recycling division is committed to keeping New Mexico clean. The act of recycling is a positive way to help keep our environment healthy.  We encourage students and faculty to participate in recycling and to tell others about it as well.

We are constantly looking for new materials to recycle and new ways to recycle what we already collect from the campus. If you have ideas and want to help, please contact Linda McCormick, Resource Conservation Manager, at 269-6131 or lindamcc@unm.edu.

Do We Recycle That? The Answer is Usually Yes!

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Call Recycling at 277-1681 if you have the following commodities and need a pickup from your department.

  • #1 and #2 Plastic containers, aluminum cans, glass bottles, tin cans
  • Paper: white, colored, newspaper, cardboard, shredded paper
  • Styrofoam: Packing blocks, peanuts, cups, plates, bowls, egg cartons are okay. Bag peanuts separately from everything. Please rinse or wipe food off the cups, etc. and bag separately from everything.
  • Printer Cartridges: laser jet, ink jet
  • Metal Scrap: Unless the scrap is fairly small, Recycling would prefer if you deliver the scrap to us at 1642 University NE. Call 277-1681 if you have questions.
  • CD's
  • Pallets and lumber. No plywood or fiberboard
  • Phone Books & Campus Directories: In early January, 30-yard bins are put out on North Campus (at the North Golf Course) and Main Campus (at the Southeast corner of Johnson Field) to collect phone books and directories.

Specific Recycling Guidance

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  • Please call 277-1681 for delivery of additional supplies or a special pick up for any special projects, such as cleaning out files or after buying new computers.
  • #1 and #2 plastic containers, glass bottles and tin cans can be put in aluminum-can bins. Please empty contents and remove lids before putting the bottles in the bins.
  • White and colored paper: pre-sort white into blue bins and colored paper into yellow bins. Remove stickies or any plastic wrapping material before putting the paper into the bins.
  • Copy paper wrappers: unfortunately these are NOT recyclable. Throw the wrappers into the trash.
  • Junk mail: put all the paper, including the torn envelope, into a yellow bin.
  • Shredded paper: the shred must be bagged. Recycling has some free bags available for use with shredded paper.
  • Magazines/catalogs: Put them into a yellow bin. Call for a special pick up if you have a large quantity at one time.
  • Books: Put them into a yellow bin. Call for a special pick up if you have a large quantity at one time.
  • Printer cartridges: put them back in their original boxes or simply put them in a plastic bag.
  • CD's, audio or video tapes: collect them separately in a plastic bag.

If you have anything that you think might by recyclable but you don't see it on the list above, please call 277-1681 for information.

Thank you for your interest in and support of recycling!  Remember to encourage your friends to recycle too.  It’s in everyone’s best interest.