Recycling

Andrew Kirchner, LiveGreen Ambassador President, helps with a biannual personal recycling and shredding event.

Recycling Bins on Campus

There are various types of recycling bins at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine. Each bin has signage indicating what items are accepted, often with images to provide additional guidance. Green bins accept metal, cardboard and plastic materials. Cardboard should be broken down and placed inside or next to your green bin.

By policy, all paper should be placed in a blue deskside bin, large blue bin, or large gray DataShield container. All paper is shredded to ensure HIPAA, FERPA and confidentiality compliance. Sometimes, you'll see a triple bin, which accepts plastic, metal, landfill materials and paper in their respective sections.

Why should I recycle?

Recycling is a simple way to help reduce the amount of material the Med Center sends to the landfill. Material in the landfill creates toxic emissions as it decomposes, while recycling turns old materials into new ones. Reducing and reusing are also great strategies for helping the Med Center meet its Net Zero Waste by 2030 goal.

Track our sustainability progress

Additional Resources

The mission of the Green Labs Program is to provide a common-sense and obtainable approach for our laboratory and research spaces to achieve excellence in innovation and safety by driving meaningful reductions in energy, water, and waste, and promoting responsible purchasing.

Learn More

Alkaline Batteries

Single-use/alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V) used in campus devices can be recycled on campus at no cost to the end user. The batteries are being recycled by Retrofit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cardboard

All corrugated cardboard and standard cardboard can be recycled on campus. Please break all boxes down flat and place them between your green recycling bin and the wall or at the designated location for your building.

Electronics

For Nebraska Medicine, contact your ITS representative for proper documentation and recycling. For equipment used in the care of patients, please contact Biomedical Engineering. For the UNMC campus, contact your department’s, office’s or lab’s buyer (with access to ARIBA) and have them fill out a surplus form for General Supply.

Furniture

To remove reusable furniture, contact your department’s, office’s or lab’s buyer (with access to e-SHOP) and have them fill out a surplus form for General Supply. Furniture that is not immediately needed on campus will be sold for a second life.

Journals, Magazines & Books

If you have an old or rare book, contact the McGoogan Library first. Individual journals, magazines, text books, hardcover books, and telephone books can be recycled in the blue paper recycling bins.

Mercury Containing Lamps

Many bulbs in microscopes or lighted equipment often contain mercury and must be disposed of through Environmental Health & Safety Department. Check the label, look up the product number, contact your sales rep or ask Environmental Health and Safety.

Universal Waste Storage and Disposal for Non-Facilities Areas

Metal

All metal products on campus can be recycled by placing them in the green bins on campus. Please do not include aerosol cans, Styrofoam, needles or any item that could be biohazardous, contaminated or that should be sent to Environmental Health and Safety.

Paper

All paper must be placed in a blue container, large blue bin, locked grey bin or locked cart. All paper is shredded to ensure HIPAA, FERPA and confidentiality compliance. Facial tissues, napkins and paper towels, cannot be recycled and should be placed in the trash.

Plastic

Plastic materials with the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 5 can be recycled by placing them in the green bins located all over campus. Plastic items should be emptied of all food, drink, or packing materials prior to placement in recycling bin. Do not place bodily fluid contaminated items in the recycling bins.

Learn More at the Wasteline Website

Refrigerators and Freezers

Freon must be removed from refrigerators and freezers of any size prior to disposal. Fill out a work order and send it to Facilities Management & Planning.

Techno Trash: CDs, DVDs and VHS Tapes

VHS tapes, CDs, floppy disks and zip disks from campus can all be recycled through EVS. Please contact 559-4073 to arrange pickup/drop-off. Remove all cases prior to recycling. VHS cases can be recycled with cardboard and disk cases can be placed in mixed recycled bins.

Toner Cartridges

To recycle your printer’s toner and ink cartridges, please place them in the packing materials from the new cartridge and then clearly write “USED” on the box. Place the box with other items to be picked up with campus mail. General Supply will recycle them in bulk.

Lab Coats

UNMC and Nebraska Medicine lab coats can be recycled and repurposed by sending to LiveGreen, campus zip 7100. Please ensure all lab coats are inspected for sharps and freshly laundered before sending in. This will help reduce risk and ensure those who are processing lab coats remain safe.

Download signage for on-campus bins:

Track Our Progress

See how our team is meeting our sustainability goals.