What to Recycle

Paper is separated from other materials at the material separation stations. The following types of paper are accepted.

• Newspaper and inserts
• Brown paper bags
• Chipboard boxes (Examples: Cereal boxes and gift boxes)
• Carrier stock (Example: Soft drink carrying cases)
• Office paper (Examples: White and colored paper, envelopes, fax paper)
• Corrugated cardboard (Example: Moving boxes)
• Paperback books including phone books
• Spiral bound notebooks

The following types of paper are NOT accepted.

• Wax covered corrugated cardboard
• Hardcover books

The paper must be clean and dry. If it is not, please place it in the receptacle marked for waste. This is very important as contamination reduces the material recovery rate during the recycling process.

Cardboard and paper that is too large to fit in the material separation stations should be taken to the Recycling Services paper collection containers located at the following locations. Link to map.

Glass

Glass can be deposited in the material separation station in the receptacle marked Metal, Glass and Plastic. The following types of glass are accepted:

• Clear and colored glass bottles

The following types of glass are NOT acceptable:

• Ceramic
• Windows

Metals

Metals must be deposited in the material separation station in the receptacle marked Metal, Glass and Plastic. These must be cleaned prior to deposit. The following types of metal are accepted:

• Aluminum cans, aluminum foil and aluminum trays
• Bi-metal (steel cans with a thin coat of tin) and tin cans
• Aseptic packaging (Example: Juice box)

Plastics

Plastics #1-7 can be recycled. This number can usually be found on the item being recycled surround by the Mobius recycling symbol. These plastics must be deposited in the receptacle marked Metal, Glass and Plastic. The following types of plastic are accepted:

• Plastic #1 (Examples: Soda, juice and water containers)
• Plastic #2 (Examples: Milk jugs, juice jugs and detergent containers)
• Plastic #3 (Examples: Health and beauty products and household containers)
• Plastic #4 (Examples: Margarine tubs and six pack rings)
• Plastic #5 (Examples: Yogurt cups and ketchup bottles)
• Plastic #6 (Example: Foam cups)
• Plastic #7
  

The following types of plastic are NOT accepted:

• Containers used to store motor oil, herbicides, pesticides and other hazardous substances
• Plastic bags; these should be taken to a grocery store
• Plastic film (Examples: Tarps, sheets and wraps)
  

Organic wastes should be separated from other recyclables and non-recyclables so that IIT can determine what volume of waste is generated. Currently, the regional infrastructure for organic waste recycling is limited, and we would be required to transport all organic waste far from the city in order to recycle it. An IPRO is currently looking at the options available to IIT, including a potential on-site recycling center, and further action will be forthcoming. Until that time, continue to separate.

e-Cycling

Electronic waste is also known as e-waste.

IIT provides e-cycling services through Sims Recycling Solutions. Sims recycling picks up functional electronics from IIT and transports it to their West Chicago facility.

You can request a pick-up for your old electronic equipment by placing a work order with facilities.

If you are interested in recycling your own e-waste, look online at myboneyard.com. This website provides you with various e-waste options and the types of waste they will accept. They will send you an appropriate shipping container with prepaid shipping. The service costs you nothing and, depending on state of the equipment, myboneyard.com will pay you. If your equipment is functional, myboneyard.com will find reuse markets. If not, they will recycle as much as they can and dispose of the remainder in an environmentally responsible manner.

You can find other places to recycle computers, cell phones, batteries and much more at Earth911.com

Any non-hazardous waste that does not fall into one of the other categories. 

Please contact John Sebby,  IIT Recycling Coordinator, at sebby@iit.edu if you have items to recycle that fall under "other" to make sure it is recycled correctly.