Recycling: Environmental Sustainability 

  • In addition to recycling traditional items such as glass and cardboard, ISU Dining recycles the plastic pallets used for food delivery. Broken kitchen equipment is also recycled as scrap metal.
  • Through single-stream recycling, batteries, cell phones, lab equipment and more are recycled, as well as glass, metal, plastic and paper.
  • To ensure proper handling of hazardous materials and reuse of recyclable materials, Environmental Health and Safety recycles 50,000-70,000 fluorescent light bulbs each year.
  • The Department of Residence always strives to recycle. In collaboration with Live Green! and Ohio Mattress Recovery and Recycling, the DOR recycled 900 used mattresses from Frederiksen Court. By utilizing this service, the DOR saved roughly 20,000 cubic feet of landfill space, as 94% of the materials in each mattress can be recycled.
  • Any and all vehicular parts are recycled if they cannot be sold. For example, the Iowa Department of Transportation converts old tires from Transportation Services into paving material for state highways.
  • Glass waste, a non-beneficial fuel source for the Ames Resource Recovery Center, is collected across campus through single-stream recycling, as well as in laboratories, and recycled for use in the manufacturing of products such as fiberglass.