Commonly Asked Questions
Please click on a heading to go to questions and answers for that section. Or you can scroll down this page and click on the question you would like to have answered:
Glass,
Metal,
Plastic,
Paper,
Contamination,
Yard Waste/Organics/Composting,
Service On Campus,
Household Hazardous Waste,
Electronic Waste,
Buying Recycled,
Holiday Waste Prevention,
Reuse Options,
Benefits of Recycling,
At Stanford,
More on Recycling...
Glass
* Can glass be recycled?
* Can all glass be recycled?
* Can lab glass be recycled?
* What do I do with burned out lightbulbs or broken drinking glasses?
* Can I recycle the glass from my broken window?
* At the Stanford Recycling Drop-Off Center, do you currently collect wine bottles separately from the other glass bottles?
Metal
* What goes in the scrap metal bin at the Stanford Recycling Drop-Off Center?
* Do you accept steel cans and how are these different from tin cans?
* Do I have to rinse off all of the food from the aluminum foil before I can recycle it?
* What should I do if I see someone pulling aluminum cans out of the recycle bins?
* How many aluminum cans are recycled and why should we recycle them?
* How much energy is saved by recycling aluminum cans?
Plastic
* What type of plastic containers can be recycled?
* What steps should I take to recycle my plastic bottles?
* What are the seven types of plastic?
* Why is it so important to know which plastics my community collects? Can’t I simply throw all plastics with chasing arrows in the bin?
* I have a plastic container with a recycling symbol on the bottom, but you say it’s not recyclable. Why?
* Can I recycle plastic bags?
* Can I recycle Styrofoam?
* Can I recycle my plastic binder or broken plastic cups?
* Can lab plastics be recycled?
* Can pipette trays be recycled?
* Can I recycle old photographs and negatives?
* What are aseptic containers and can they be recycled?
* Is the cap of a recyclable plastic bottle also recyclable?
* What happens to plastic bottles once I remove the cap, rinse, and place in the recycle bin?
* Where do plastic milk jugs go?
* What does PETE and HDPE stand for?
* What is PETE Plastic?
* What are some of things that #1 PETE Plastic can be made into?
* What types of products are packaged in PETE containers?
* PETE bottles cannot be recycled back into food and beverage containers.
True or False?
* How many water bottles are recycled and why should we recycle them?
* What do I do with all of the packaging I received with my holiday gifts?
Paper
Contamination
Yard Waste\Organics\Composting
* How can I get more information about home composting?
* What can and can't I compost?
* How do I compost?
* What can you put into a residential compost pile?
* Why do I need a compost bin?
* Can I put fruit and vegetables in with yard clippings?
* What do I do with the yard waste that does not fit into the cart?
* What should I do with palm fronds?
* Can I put clean lumber in with yard waste?
* I am cutting down a tree. Can I recycle it?
* How do I recycle my holiday tree?
* What is grasscycling?
* What is vermi-composting?
* What is the Dirt Cake Recipe?
* What are some tips for a greener garden?
Service on Campus
* When are the recycling bins emptied on campus?
* If I leave cardboard by the recycling bins, will it be picked up?
* Should we set our recyclables out in rainy weather?
* What if I have more recyclable material than fits in my curbside bins?
* Should I put out my curbside recycling bins every week even if they are just half full?
* Why does the recycling collector leave items in my curbside recycling bin?
* Do cardboard boxes have to be flatten for collection?
* What should I do if I see someone scavenging through my curbside recycling bin?
* What size garbage cans are we allowed to have?
* I have extra bags of garbage. Can I just place them next to the garbage cans?
* Do you offer debris box service?
* What is construction and demolition waste and how do we reduce or recycle it?
* How should I prepare for the Fall or Spring Clean Up in the Faculty Staff Housing Area?
* How do I dispose of a refrigerator?
* What should I do with palm fronds?
* How do I dispose of or recycle electronic waste?
Household Hazardous Waste
* Where can I take my Household Hazardous Waste?
* Where can I go to find some used paint or other products that are consider household hazardous waste?
* What is the new Universal Waste law (2006) and how does it effect me?
* What is Universal Waste and why can't I put them in trash?
* Why can’t we recycle our household batteries at the Stanford Recycling Center?
* Where can I recycle my used motor oil?
* Where can I recycle my laptop battery?
* How do I dispose of used injection needles?
* How do I dispose of mercury containing thermometers?
* How do I dispose of a refrigerator?
* How much oil would it take to contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water (one year’s supply for 50 people)?
Electronic Waste
* How do I recycle my computer, television or other electronic items?
* What do I do with my old printer cartridges?
* Can I recycle my old cell phone?
* Where can I recycle CDs and disks?
* Where can I recycle my laptop battery?
* Local charitable organizations no longer take electronic equipment in need of repair. Where can these be recycled?
* Where can I find more information about California’s Electronic Waste Law?
Buying Recycled
* Why should I buy recycled paper?
* Where can I find more information and resources on buying recycled?
* Where can I find greeting cards made with recycled paper?
* Where can I find gifts that are good for the environment?
* Are all recycled products required to be labeled as a recycled product?
* What is the difference between pre-consumer and post-consumer material?
* What do the terms "recycled", "recyclable", "post-consumer" and "pre-consumer" mean?
* What is America Recycles Day?
* What gets recycled into what?
* What is the Shop Smart Campaign?
* What are “Green” Hotels and why stay at a “Green” Hotel?
Holiday Waste Prevention
* How much extra waste is created during the winter holiday season?
* How can I reduce waste during the winter holiday season?
* How can I reduce waste and buy great gifts this holiday season?
* How can I protect the planet this holiday season?
* What are some Green Resolution that I can consider this year?
Reuse Options
* How can I find places to donate usable items to?
* I noticed that when everyone moves out at the end of the year, there is a lot of good stuff in the dumpsters. Does any one sort through them to remove the good stuff and give it to charity?
* What is Freecycle?
* What can I do with old skis?
* Where can I donate old games and toys?
* How do I reuse and/or recycle fabric?
* Which is better paper bags or plastic bags?
Benefits of Recycling
* Why is it important to recycle?
* What is recycling's greatest economic benefit?
* What are the environmental benefits of recycling?
* Can recycling save energy?
* How much energy is saved by recycling?
* How much energy is in a can?
* What is the connection between source reduction and reduction in green house gas emissions?
At Stanford
* How much waste does Stanford divert from the landfill?
* Has Stanford won any awards for its recycling program?
* I am interested in recycling on campus, how can I get more involved?
* Do you offer tours of the Stanford Recycling Center?
More On Recycling...
* How does recycling work?
* What do the three chasing arrows mean?
* Why do we have to sort our recyclables?
* What happens to all the recyclables dropped off at the Stanford Recycling Center?
* Why are some things recyclable and others are not?
* Why can't I recycle everything?
* I want to recycle items not accepted at the Stanford Recycling Center. How do I find out where to go?
* Where can I find the definition of terms on consumer labels, like "recyclable" or "natural"?
* What do the terms "recycled", "recyclable", "post-consumer" and "pre-consumer" mean?
* What is Product Stewardship?
* How much volume of our trash is packaging?
* How many pounds of trash does the average American produce each year?
* In 2007, how old will California's Bottle Bill be and how has it helped bottle and can recycling?
* In 2005, how are Californians doing in their efforts to recycle bottles and cans?
* In 2004, how are Californians doing in their efforts to recycle bottles and cans?
* Ever ask a beverage container why you should recycle?
* What is the Shop Smart Campaign?
* How can I reduce paper waste by changing my margins?
* What are some waste minimization practices that I could use in my office/building/business/home?
* How can I find how to reduce waste from school lunches?
* Where can I find websites that talk about recycling and are geared toward children?
* What is construction and demolition waste and how do we reduce or recycle it?
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