Zero Waste A-Z Quick Sorting Index

Ramsey County Zero Waste A-Z Sorting Guide

What Can I Recycle?

• Appliances Managed by Facilities Services , located on the lower level of the Music Building. Contact them at [email protected] with any questions
• Bon Appetit All disposable wares from food prepared by Bon Appetit are compostable, including catering, to-go containers, and chop sticks. This does NOT include commercially packed items sold by Bon Appetit
• Compost Compost anything that was once living. Visit the Composting page for more information.
• Electronic Waste (E-Waste) Collected primarily at the ITS Help Desk located in 316 Humanities on campus.  For financial and liability reasons, Macalester does not accept e-waste or styrofoam that is generated off campus.  E-waste or styrofoam generated by employees ‘at home’ will not be accepted. Small items such as radios, cell phones, and computer components, can be brought to the e-waste recycling bin located in the Mail Room on the lower level of the Campus Center.
• Events The Zero Waste Event Guide (coming soon) can help make any on-campus event zero waste
• Light Bulbs  It is unlawful to throw away a fluorescent bulb in the trash
  • Broken Broken fluorescent bulbs of any kind are hazardous and dangerous; please contact Facilities Services immediately for safe clean up. Call 651-696-6278 or Email [email protected]
  • Fluorescent Light, CFL Intact CFL bulbs can be placed into the collection bin located in the Mail Room in the lower level of Campus Center
  • Fluorescent Light, Tube Intact fluorescent tubes are collected by Facilities Services and should not be left for collection in any public location
  • LED bulbs go in the collection bin in the Mailing Room in the lower level of the Campus Center
  • Incandescent bulbs go in the trash
• One-sided Office Paper Drop-off in labeled bins in the Library (and other places) to be up-cycled into a notebook for their Onesies project. If you would like to request a collection bin for the Onesies projects, you may contact the library
• Plastic Bags and Film Clean and dry plastic bags (including ice bags from the LC) and film can be deposited into plastic bag collection bins located near the Janet Wallace entrance, the entrance to the Library, Mailing Services, and the Leonard Center.
• Recycling Bins located in and around all campus buildings. Recycle aluminum cans and foil, unsoiled cardboard, broken or whole glass, unsoiled paper, plastics numbers 1,2,4,5,7, steel and tin cans.
• Special Disposal See Special Waste Disposal table below

For financial and liability reasons, Macalester does not accept e-waste or styrofoam that is generated off campus.  E-waste or styrofoam generated by employees ‘at home’ will not be accepted.

• Styrofoam:

• Polystyrene This plastic is flexible and does not break easily when stressed, it is usually black in color and labelled #6PS.  Polystyrene is not recyclable and must be thrown in the trash. It is commonly used for disposable coffee cup lids.
• Expanded Polystyrene Foam This styrofoam is rigid and breaks easily when stressed, it is usually white in color and labelled #6PS.  Polystyrene is recyclable (only in specialty recycling) if it is clean and free of any contaminants.  Drop off at the Facilities Services  desk, located on the lower level of the Music Building.

Special Waste Disposal