Recycling prevents potentially useful materials from being wasted, and also reduces energy use and pollution. Buffalo State's recycling program is managed through Buffalo State's Property Control and Sustainable Programs office. This office promotes and encourages environmentally responsible practices -- including efficient energy use and recycling -- among students, faculty and staff.
For information about disposing of recyclable material at Buffalo State, please consult the recycling guide below or contact Lauren Morse. Thank you!
Buffalo State routinely collects plastic, glass and metal for recycling. These materials should be disposed of in the green bins found throughout the campus. Please rinse any soiled materials before placing them in the green bins. (Please do not place soiled tin foil in recycling bins.)
Paper and cardboard are also continuously collected for recycling at Buffalo State. During one nine-month tracking period, 40 tons of paper and nearly 12 tons of carboard were collected in campus academic, student life and administrative buildings. Residence halls added about three tons of paper and two tons of cardboard to these totals.
Blue bins for paper and cardboard recycling are located in all office areas and in many public areas in each building, including lobbies, lounges and vending machine areas. Materials must be unsoiled, and cardboard must be flattened before it is placed in the blue bins.
These paper products may not be deposited in recycling bins at Buffalo State: Paper cups, waxed paper, tissues and candy wrappers.
Buffalo State collects cartridges from fax machines, copiers, and laser and ink jet printers -- along with batteries, cell phones, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes and audio tapes -- using red and yellow bins. All household batteries (alkaline, rechargeable, cell/portable phone batteries, etc.) are also collected for recycling on our campus. Since 2010, Buffalo State has segregated and shipped more than 13 tons of batteries, electronic media and printer cartridges for recycling.
Red bins are located in each department, in each residence hall mailroom, and in some common areas throughout the campus. Large yellow bins are used for greater quantities of material.
Please note: Lead-acid batteries will be picked up by members of Buffalo State's Environmental Health & Safety Office staff. Please contact them at 716-878-6128.
Most electronics contain hazardous or toxic materials that can damage the environment and harm individuals. Proper recycling removes these hazards and has the added benefit of providing a source of materials for reuse. Computers, printers, scanners and fax machines are collected for recycling at Buffalo State.
Each November thousands of recycling events are held on the same day -- usually November 15 -- throughout the country as part of America Recycles Day. Evergreen and the Buffalo State chapter of the New York State Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) partner to participate in the collective effort, hosting an annual drive to collect computers and electronics for recycling.
"Universal Waste" refers to materials that are commonly used but potentially hazardous to dispose of.
At Buffalo State disposal of these materials is handled primarily by the Environmental Health and Safety Office. Please contact them at 716-878-6128 if you need to dispose of lead-acid batteries; mercury-containing items such as thermostats and thermometers; or pesticides.
To conserve campus resources and minimize waste, Evergreen maintains, and manages the reuse of, an extensive collection of office furniture and supplies. Desks, chairs, tables and filing are just some of the items that are regularly available, free of charge, for on-campus use by Buffalo State employees. Before your office spends money on furniture, please check out the surplus collection. Pease call 716-878-6835 to schedule an appointment.
Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as fertilizer.
Buffalo State contracts with Farmer Pirates to pick up waste for composting. Campbell Student Union, Campus House and academic program food labs contribute kitchen waste, while Buffalo State's facilities department contributes landscaping waste for the composting process. More than 71 tons of organic matter have been collected from Buffalo State since 2013.
For information about composting at Buffalo State, please contact Lauren Morse.
