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Tips & Benefits

Tips for Recycling on campus:

Solutions to increase recycling

Problems preventing more recycling

  • Contamination – trash mixed with recyclables; now treated as trash
    • While contamination decreased with specific recycling lids, did not prevent 100% of contamination
  • Perception / attitude that TCNJ does NOT recycle
  • Do not know how / where to recycle
  • Do not have the appropriate containers

New projects for increasing recycling

Recycling can and Non-recycling can

Beginning in fiscal year 2008, exterior recycling containers are being placed around campus next to exterior trash containers. This project has been spread out across many fiscal years to eventually populate recycling containers next to every exterior trash container.

Student Groups Interested:

  • Bonner Center
  • Student Government Association
  • Water Watch
  • The Signal

Tips for recycling at home:

  • Check with your Borough/Township/County (they may ask you to contact the disposal contractor directly for your area) to verify which items are accepted for collection.
  • The items that are collected will vary in each area (for example magazines and certain plastics may not be accepted in all areas)
  • Check with your County for the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days:
    • This is where you can bring old computers and other old electronics that can not go into the trash due to the large amount of toxic metals.
    • This is also where you can dispose of old cleaning products or chemicals left over from a home repair project which may contain hazardous ingredients (the labels usually contain the words “Warning” or “Danger”).
    • Each County will vary on what they can accept so be sure to verify which items to bring before the collection day.

What are the environmental benefits of recycling?

  • The energy saved from recycling one aluminum can will operate a television set for three hours.
  • By recycling one glass bottle, you can save enough electricity to light a 100 watt bulb for 4 hours.
  • Manufacturers can make 20 new cans using recycled material with the same energy it takes to make one can out of new material.
  • Recycling one ton of paper:
    • Saves 463 gallons of oil
    • Saves 7,000 gallons of water
    • Saves 17 trees
    • Saves 4,100 kilowatt hours of energy
    • Saves 3 cubic yards of landfill space
    • Makes 60 pounds less of air pollution
    • Reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 850 pounds per year
  • Recycling glass as opposed to manufacturing new glass:
    • Reduces air pollution by 14-20%
    • Saves 25-40% energy
    • Employs over 30,000 workers
    • Can cut air pollution by 5 lbs per ton of glass
    • By recycling one glass bottle, you can save enough electricity to light a 100 watt bulb for 4 hours

Click here to visit the sustainability Web page on the President’s Climate Commitment Committee Website.

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