Recycling Program

Mixed Bottles and Cans

Collected in large two wheel "roll out" plastic containers in classrooms, hallways and high traffic areas or recycling stations/depots or smaller blue boxes in offices.

• All glass, plastic, and metal cans and bottles
• Milk and juice cartons
• Aluminum trays and foil, aerosol containers and empty paint cans
• Plastic tubs and lids
• HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) and PET (Polyethylene Terephlate) plastic have the recycling symbol with a number 1 or 2 on the bottom of the container.

The following items are NOT ACCEPTABLE

• Crystal, ceramic or porcelain
• Window glass or mirrors
• Light bulbs (place on loading dock in cardboard for pickup)
• Crystal, ceramic, or porcelain
• Aerosol cans
• Plumbing, or other pipes (place on loading dock for pickup)
• Bicycle parts or toys (place on loading dock for pickup and redistribution)
• Foil with paper or plastic lamination
• Yogurt lids
• Plastic bags

Mixed Paper Products

• Office paper, fine paper, photocopy paper wrap, envelopes, file folders
• Hard and soft-cover books, magazines, newspapers, inserts, junk mail flyers, phone books, boxboard, egg cartons, construction paper
• Anything that remotely resembles paper! Sticky-note paper and clips/staples are acceptable

• No plastic binders or transparencies (bundle and place significant quantity on loading dock for redistribution)

Telephone Directories

• In residences, place old Bell Canada telephone directories and Yellow Pages outside Newspaper Recycling containers.
• In offices, old Bell Canada telephone directors and Yellow Pages will be collected by Custodian when you receive new editions.
• York University Telephone Directories can be recycled in your office fine paper recycling containers.
• Please note that the University is committed to reducing the number of telephone directories. Please share a directory when possible.

Old Books
Depending on the type of books you need to discard, we can either find a reuse or recycling opportunity. Custodial Services can provide a rolling "Book Collection" container at your request.

York University's Bookstore will often buy back used text books, and sell them at a discounted price to students.

Confidential Office Paper
The Campus Services and Business Operations Confidential Paper Recovery Program continues to be a success. 

The charge for this service is $40.00 for the first bin and $30.00 for subsequent bins. To help us meet community requirements in a timely manner and provide this service equitably across campus, there is a three-bin maximum per order and bins should not be kept for longer than one week. 

To place an order email your Recycling Coordinator or call extension 55501 to have your departmental bin picked up for disposal.

Please include the following information:

• Service Request
• Building and office number
• Number of bins required
• Date of drop off / pickup if applicable
• Contact name if applicable

Corrugated Cardboard: Place in containers marked with Corrugated Cardboard.

• Corrugated Cardboard (the type with a ruffled inner layer) is collected at all loading docks in clearly marked plastic receptacles. 
• In offices, please flatten your cardboard boxes and place them outside your office for collection.
• Do not place any other type of paper in a receptacle designated for cardboard.

Computer Hardware
Obsolete or unwanted computer hardware including printers and monitors can be recycled. Please send an On-line Service Request for scheduling of pick-ups. Please note that old monitors should not be discarded in garbage containers. Monitors can pose a health and safety risk to staff that need to dispose of them.

Battery Collection
To recover/recycle batteries, stations have been placed at the following loading docks - Scott, Stong, Winters, TEL and Schulich. To keep our disposal costs minimal, only York University generated batteries should placed in the stations. If you are disposing of large quantities please contact your Recycling Coordinator.

Organic Waste

• Food waste is collected in smaller plastic two wheel containers, found at most loading docks, marked "food waste only" above the bin.
• Used for any bio-degradable material such as food, meat and paper napkins
• Black conical food waste composters are located on the west side of the East Office Building, the east side of Lumbers, Physical Resources Building, Passy Gardens Residence, 90 Pond Road Residence and Wood and Hilliard Residences
• No plastic please

The following items are NOT ACCEPTABLE

• Non-organic materials such as styrofoam cups or plastic utensils.

Used Clothes
Permanent collection sites have been established at the Keele campus at the following locations:

• Assiniboine Apartments (Laundry rooms)
• Passy Gardens (mail room)
• 90 Atkinson Road (Laundry room)

Used clothing collected on campus is distributed to local charitable organizations. Please wash clothing before donating.