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Virginia Tech Recycling

Virginia Tech Recycling (VTR), a part of the Office of Sustainability, seeks to provide a system which makes recycling dependable, convenient, and cost effective. We believe that classroom discussions about environmental problems and their solutions are not simply theoretical, but have practical value in the world and right here on campus.

We hope this website will encourage you to recycle, whether you're in a campus department or residence hall. You can request recycling bins and volunteer online.

RecycleMania!

Sponsored by the EPA, RecycleMania is a national competition for encouraging campus recycling. Over 400 universities and colleges participated in 2009. The competition takes place over a period of ten weeks in late January through early March; participating institutions submit weekly data which is posted to the RecycleMania website www.Recyclemania.org The competition does not measure the full scope of campus recycling, but focuses on paper, cardboard, and cans/bottles.

As shown in the spreadsheet showing results from RecycleMania 2007, 2008, and 2009, recycling of these materials by the Virginia Tech campus community increased significantly in 2009, over the previous years. New this year has been the composting of organics, through an arrangement between Culinary Services and Poplar Manor Enterprises (PME).

NOTE: "Trash" statistics were not asked for in 2007, 2008, and without those statistics, a recycling percentage could not be calculated. The 2009 recycling percentage as shown does not reflect the recycling of various other materials such as scrap metals, kitchen grease (from dining halls), and electronics (computers/fluorescent tubes/etc).

What can I recycle?

VTR accepts a variety of materials at locations across campus. Some of the items you can recycle are:

  • Aluminum cans
  • Glass bottles
  • Plastic bottles
  • Office paper
  • Newspaper
  • Steel cans
  • Laser toner cartridges
  • Magazines
  • Phonebooks
  • See the materials page for the complete list.

How much and where to?

In 2007 VTR recycled over 2.5 million pounds of material! See the about us page to see where it all goes.