at Suny Oswego
Recycling and Disposal begins with reducing waste. Buying less products and using what is already available scales down the high demand for landfill and recycling facilities. Buy products that are durable, second-hand, or multi-use. Selling or gifting these items supports a circular economy and increases accessibility within the community.
The Department of Sustainability focuses on educating the campus community about the importance of recycling, proper waste disposal, and reducing waste at the source. This includes providing resources on how to properly separate recyclables, the significance of single-stream recycling, and how individuals can make a difference in reducing their personal and collective carbon footprints.
Make sure all items are clean and empty
Damaged electronics such as laptops, phones, charges, and other small electronics can be disposed of at residential recycling rooms or submit a disposal request with Environmental Health and Safety.
Batteries containing any of the following materials must be recycled in designated bins located at the front desk of various campus buildings. (This includes most consumer batteries)
Batteries labeled Alkaline are considered Non-Hazardous and can be disposed of in normal trash receptacles .
Any batteries you are unsure about can be sent via campus mail to the Environmental Health & Safety Office, at 110 Lee Hall.
Gently used clothing, shoes, and textiles can be dropped off at the residence halls front desk, or in the donation bins at the end of each semester. Off campus students can contact the Office of Sustainability to have donations collected. Destroyed items can be disposed of in normal trash receptacles or with a recycling technician in recycling rooms.
All writing utensils can be disposed of in labeled utensil disposal boxes in academic classrooms attached to white boards.
In Residence Halls (Cayuga, Funnelle, Hart, Johnson, Oneida, Onondaga, Riggs, Scales, Seneca, and Waterbury Halls), all residents are expected to bring all trash and recyclables to the recycling rooms for proper disposal. Residents are not advised to use the trash or recycling dumpsters located behind or near their residence hall.
Each dorm room at SUNY Oswego is provided with two black trash bins and two blue recycling bins. Residents are encouraged to take their trash and recycling to their dorm hall Trash/Recycling room.
The Recycling Technician (RT) is a member of the Residence Life and Housing Student Operations Services Staff (SOS Staff). The role of the Recycling Technician is to oversee and enforce the Residence Hall Recycling Program in accordance with the Oswego County Recycling Program.
In each residence hall, there are designated recycling/trash rooms that are equipped for proper waste disposal.
In these rooms, there are bins labeled:
In The Village apartments, the recycling process differs slightly from the residence halls, as there is no recycling technician present. Instead, it is the responsibility of each resident to properly manage their waste and recyclables.
Residents are responsible for taking their trash out to the designated trash dumpsters located at the ends of parking lots R-80 and R-90.
Residents must take their recyclables out and ensure that they are placed in the correct recycling dumpsters located at the ends of parking lots R-80 and R-90..
To make it easier for residents, the dumpsters are color-coded to distinguish between trash and recycling. The blue dumpsters are for recyclables, and the green dumpsters are for regular waste, helping to streamline the disposal process and reduce contamination in the recycling stream.
In each academic and administrative building (Hewitt Hall, Laker Hall, Lakeside Dining Hall, Pathfinder Dining Hall, Cooper Dining Hall, Lanigan Hall, Mahar Hall, Marano Campus Center, Park Hall, Penfield Library, Poucher Hall, Rice Creek Field Station, Richard S. Shineman Center, Sheldon Hall, Swetman Gymnasium, Syracuse Center, Tyler Hall, Wilber Hall, Commissary and Maintenance Buildings, Culkin Hall, Lee Hall, Mary Walker Health Center, and Service Building 20) recycling and waste bins are placed in central locations.
Trash bins have a black lid and are labeled with the black "True Trash" can logo.
Recycling bins have a blue lid and are labeled with the blue "All Recycling" logo.
Off-Campus Students and Staff can learn more on the Oswego County website by clicking here.
Single-Stream Recycling is a process that does not require any sorting of recyclable materials at the time of disposal. All items such as paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, and metal are sent to a recycling facility in the same container and sorted on site.
Follow the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—in that order of priority.
Prioritizing reduction limits the need for disposal and minimizes environmental impact at the source. Reusing eliminates waste that would be created with single-use objects. Recycling prevents waste from going into landfills and negatively impacting the environment.
Attend our Shining Waters program! More information can be found on the "Waste Initiatives Page".
Picking up waste whenever you see it anywhere on campus.
You can bring your food scraps and other typical compostable materials to the Permaculture Living Lab for composting.
Commercially compostable materials must be put in specific composting bins
This program emphasizes protecting and preserving Lake Ontario and its watershed, addressing water quality, pollution prevention, and ecosystem health. The initiative aligns with broader efforts to reduce plastic waste that often ends up in waterways.
Emphasizing the responsibility of each campus to actively participate and drive awareness campaigns, This initiative stems from Policy 5201, and aligns with the adoption of Executive Order 22, which establishes clear procedures for SUNY campuses to follow for the phase out of single-use plastics.
Instead of disposing of gently used clothing and other items, donate them to Oz Thrift so they can find a new home. Every year, roughly 30,000 pounds of clothing, electronics, and other student donations are diverted from landfills.
