Recyling at SUU

 Recycling Web 1

Southern Utah University’s has over 90 recycling bins on campus where departments, classes, and clubs can distribute their recyclable materials and reduce the amount of waste the University adds to landfills. SUU’s recycling bins are emptied by the sustainability specialist and student employees. Requests from the form below are our first priority for pick up and second is a shared checklist of the all the bins. This is our recycling sign let us know if your bin needs one in the pick-up request form. FY23 we collected and recycled 18.6 tons and FY24 we collected 23.7 of recyclable materials. We only service SUU so please do not bring your recycling from home. Here is a link to a list of all the recycling bins that we pick up from.

Request a Recycling Pick-up

 

Below is a list of materials that can or cannot be placed in SUU's mixed recycling bins. When in doubt, please throw it away in a garbage bin. One inappropriate item can contaminate an entire truckload (weeks worth of work) of recyclable materials. Learn more about Composting at SUU.

  • All recyclables must be clean and dry.
  • Flattened Cardboard and Paperboard
  • Magazines/Catalogs, Junk Mail and Paper
  • Newspapers
  • Aluminum, Steel, or Tin Beverage/Food Cans
  • Cleaned & Rinsed Plastic Beverage, Food, and Soap Containers (Plastics #1, #2, #5)

Recycling Web 2

  • food or organic material
  • Shredded Paper and any paper smaller than a credit card in length and width
  • hard cover books
  • Polystyrene, Waxed & Carbon Paper
  • receipts (lined with plastic)
  • toilet or tissue paper
  • Plastics #3, #4, #6, or #7
  • Plastic Bags and wrap
  • Thin Film Plastics
  • Glass
  • Greasy Boxes or Paper (Pizza Boxes, Used Paper Plates, etc.)
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Batteries
  • Bubble Wrap
  • Fluids or Aerosols
  • Hazardous Chemical Containers (Motor Oil, Pesticides, etc.)
  • Paint Cans
  • Styrofoam and Packaging Peanuts
  • Tetra Packs (Juice Box, Almond Milk, etc.)

 Trash-web

These are the sizes of our recycling bins. All bins smaller than 14 gallons will not be picked up and must be put into a larger bin for pick up. To request a new bin or different bin email recycling@suu.edu or put in a pick up request. We may not be in stock for all of these bins.
Recycling bins Jan 2025

Recyclable materials are driven to Republic Services in Las Vegas for sorting and processing in their recycling plant. We have started to collecting aluminum cans separately to sell to Robinson Recycling.

To learn even more about where your recycling goes, check out this cool YouTube Video Tour of Republic Service's Las Vegas Recycling Plant.

Everyone can live a more sustainable lifestyle by doing all of the following:

  • Reduce and Refuse: Avoid products that are not sustainable or use less of them.
  • Reuse: Put an item into action or service again.
  • Repair: Fix something instead of replacing it.
  • Recycle and Repurpose: Transform used, useless or unwanted materials into something new.

Shredded Paper

While we cannot take shredded paper for recycling. The Biology Department is taking shredded paper for its animals beddings. There is a bin outside of SCA 007 which you can bring your bagged shredded paper to.

Book Reuse

Book Recycling

If a book is recycled it gets taken apart and used for material. Instead please consider one of the FranklinMedia's book bins to give every book a second life. There is one located by the bookstore, and inside the library.

Residential Recycling

SUU and the surrounding off-campus community does not currently provide recycling services to residential areas, but for an annual or monthly fee, the private recycling company Recyclops can pick up materials either weekly or bi-weekly right from your home. As well the USU Extension Office in Iron County is starting to collect recycling for free outside of their office and paying themselves for Recyclops to pick it up.

And for local metal recycling there is Robinson Recycling.

Contact

Recycling