No, styrofoam is unfortunately not recyclable. Please note that Florida Fresh Dining is styrofoam-free. UF’s Sustainable Procurement Directive also recommends that the campus community purchase products that will minimize negative impacts on society and the environment to the greatest extent possible.

Anything not specifically listed as recyclable! A saying you can use is: “If in doubt, throw it out.”

This is better for the recycling system than “wish-cycling.” Wish-cycling is the practice of putting items into the recycling bin with the hope or assumption that they are recyclable, even if they may not be accepted by the local recycling facility. It occurs when well-intentioned individuals make decisions based on their desire for an item to be recycled rather than adhering to the specific guidelines provided by their local recycling program.

When items that are not able to be accepted for recycling (a.k.a. contaminants) are placed in the recycling, it increases the cost of processing recyclables and can damage the sorting equipment. Contaminants also lower the quality of the recyclables, thus decreasing the market value of the recycled materials. 

Yes! Smaller lids, such as bottle caps and water bottle lids, should be removed and disposed of with your garbage. These bottle caps and lids are made of different materials that are not recyclable in our system and can jam the equipment.

Larger metal lids from glass jars can be rinsed off and placed back on once containers have been fully emptied.

Larger plastic lids from laundry detergent bottles and plastic tubs can be placed loose in the recycling bin.

There is no need to flatten any aluminum or plastic bottles or containers unless you’re trying to conserve space. 

It is best if you are able to rinse them out before recycling them. Please prioritize dumping out your containers before recycling them so staff does not have to deal with leaks and extra clean-up.

It depends. Almost all plastic containers have a number inside of the classic chasing arrows recycling symbol.

However, the chasing arrows symbol with a number does not indicate that the material is actually recyclable in all systems – it’s merely an indicator of the type of plastic!

In Alachua County, the City of Gainesville, and on UF’s main campus, the following plastics are the only plastic items recyclable:

• Plastic Bottles
• Plastic Jugs (such as juice, milk, or detergent containers)
• Plastic Tubs (such as yogurt, butter, or sour cream containers)

Compost bins can be found in restrooms in select buildings on campus. These bins are specifically designed to collect the brown paper towels available for use in these restrooms.

Did you know that ALL recycling in the City of Gainesville and Alachua County, including UF’s recycling, is taken to the Leveda Brown Environmental Park? At the Leveda Brown Environmental Park, the recycling is sorted and then sold or given away to secondary processors and manufacturers so they can be used to make new products.

The City of Gainesville provides detailed information about where specific materials are sent after sorting.

It varies depending on the location and the type of bin that you need!

Office: please reach out to your custodial staff and they can get cardboard boxes for you to use to collect your paper recycling.

Indoor Communal Areas & Outdoor Recycling: please call Recycling and Solid Waste Management at 352-392-7396 or email the Recycling & Solid Waste Coordinator at cbruno@ufl.edu.

Event Recycling: please complete the Request for Equipment and Services form.

Note that some areas of campus such as Housing, The University Athletic Association, Florida Fresh Dining, and UF Health Shands have different contacts, policies, and procedures for recycling. 

• The City of Gainesville outlines clear guidelines for its Recycle Collection. If you do not have a bin, residential recycling bins are available by request in service areas.
• Unfortunately, apartment complexes cannot always offer individual collection bins. Please contact your apartment complex directly to understand the recycling collection procedures in place at your apartment.

All UF-purchased electronics must be disposed of through UF Surplus/Asset Management.

Personal electronics can be recycled in a variety of ways:

• Drop off at the Alachua County Households Hazardous Waste Collection Center at the Leveda Brown Environmental Park.
• For homes serviced by the City of Gainesville Residential Curbside Program, you can request an appointment for the collection of larger electronics.
• Select electronic stores and retailers may accept small electronic devices for recycling such as computers, laptops, tablets, and cell phones. Examples include Best Buy, Staples, Apple, Google, and Samsung – we recommend that you call ahead or check online to confirm current policies, as these types of programs frequently change.
• If your electronics are still in working condition, you may consider donating them to a local non-profit organization, educational/arts program, thrift store, resale store, etc.

Make sure your clothing is clean and in good condition. We recommend that you call ahead or check online to see what items are accepted before visiting any of the following locations:

• UF Thrift Club and other student organizations regularly host thrift swaps
• GRACE Marketplace
• Peaceful Paths
• Outreach Thrift Store
• Flashbacks Recycled Fashions
• Goodwill