When it comes to recycling Northeast Ohioans may have some unlearning to do. Nationwide changes for acceptable recycling materials are currently in effect for the region and the Kent Campus.
2020 Kent Campus Recycling Changes:
- Plastic BOTTLES & JUGS should be placed in our campus RECYCLING.
- All plastic OTHER THAN bottles and jugs should be placed in LANDFILL containers.
- Paper cartons are also NOT recyclable.
Only plastic bottles and jugs should be placed in recycling containers instead of previously accepted plastics labeled#1-#7. A “bottle” or “jug” is defined as a container with an opening or neck smaller than the body. Other items that should continue to be recycled include paper and newspaper, cardboard and chipboard (i.e., cereal boxes), aluminum and steel cans, and glass bottles.
At the Ohio Recycling Partners Conference this fall, the Solid Waste Association of North America states that the language around plastic recycling has started to change. There is a shift away from using"plastics #1-#7" and instead the recycling industry isusing the shape of the plastic containers to identify items for recycling or the landfill.There is also a shift from putting everything that might be recyclable into the bin, to putting only the specific items indicated on the recycling poster into the bin.
While our recycling rate, 36 percent, is higher than the national (25%) and state (29%) recycling rates, we know our recycling rate can be higher from campus waste audits. The top three recyclables in our trash are: plasticbottles, paper and cardboard.
For more information and tips on how to recycle visit Kent State University recycling webpage.
Free Electronics Recycling
The E-Cycle Drive will be held on February 19 and 26, and March 4, 11 and 18, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Kent State University R-17 parking lot behind Starbucks, between S. Willow and S. Lincoln streets.Members of the campus and City of Kent community can recycle used electronics through RET3, an R2 certified recycler, where materials are handled in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Materials permitted at E-Cycle Drive include personal and laptop computers, servers and storage devices, monitors CRT and LCD, docking stations, floppy drives, DVD/CD burners, VCRs, circuit boards, scanners, copiers, printers, cables, wires, extension cords, digital cameras, cellular phones, DVD players, and network and telecom equipment. TVs and kitchen appliances are NOT accepted.
E-Cycle Drive is hosted by Kent State University’s University Facilities Management and the Office of Sustainability. The public electronics recycling drop-off event contributes to Kent State University’s standings in RecycleMania.
There is NO free shredding event this year. However resources for free shredding of personal items can be found at the ShredMania website.
For more information, please visit the E-Cycle Drive website.