Residential Life Policy: Trash and Recycling
In the residence halls, each room is provided with a white bucket for collecting recyclable materials and a waste basket for non-recyclable trash to be collected. It is the students' responsibility to take materials to centralized locations and separate the contents of the white buckets into larger bins (e.g., paper vs. cans). For fire safety reasons, the doors to trash and recycling rooms should be kept closed at all times. Brown Facilities Management personnel remove trash and recycling from the residence halls.
Recycling is mandatory in the State of Rhode Island and is a Brown University Policy. Contamination occurs when materials are discarded in the wrong container, and is a violation of state law.
At this time, waste materials that can be recycled in the program include: corrugated cardboard, sorted office paper, magazines, newspaper, cereal boxes, glossy paper, glass bottles, cans, plastic #1 and #2 only, telephone directories, both laser/toner cartridges and printer ink cartridges, and batteries at limited collection points. For complete details on Brown's recycling program, visit the Department of Facilities Management web site.
A fine per incident may be levied for either lack of compliance with recycling or for leaving trash outside of your room in hallways.
Brown's Waste Container System
Mixed Beverage Containers (Yellow Barrels): All aluminum and steel cans and containers, glass bottles, and plastic containers labeled #1 and #2 ONLY. (i.e. yogurt and shampoo containers are NOT okay). No bags.
Newspaper (Red Barrels): All newsprint, cereal box board, glossy paper, magazines, books, and notebook paper.
Sorted Office Paper (Blue Barrels): All white and colored paper, glossy inserts, envelopes, and junk mail. Staples, tape, paper clips and envelopes with windows are okay. No tissues or napkins.
Cardboard (Fold and Stack Neatly in Trash Room): All Corrugated Cardboard. Break down your unwanted boxes by cutting the seams, opening them up and laying the cardboard flat. Then place them for recycle. Fold flattened cardboard boxes and stack neatly in the Trash/Recycling Room of your residence hall.
Trash/Rubbish (All other trash receptacles): Food waste, cups, tissues.
If in doubt, put material in trash receptacle to avoid contaminating the recycling or call Custodial Services at 863-7840 (or email recycle@brown.edu). The recycling room locations can be found on the Residence Hall Services List.