Waste Sorting Guide

Plastic

Only plastics #1 and #2 are recyclable in Claremont (check the number inside the “chasing arrows” symbol to find the number). Common items include beverage bottles and many food containers. Please rinse containers before recycling. To-go cups/containers, plastic bags, wrappers, and films are not recyclable.

Metal

Most metal containers can be recycled, including aluminum, tin, and steel. Non-food metal items may also go in recycling as long as they are made entirely of metal.

Paper and Cardboard

Paper and cardboard are recyclable when they are clean and dry. Items with food or liquid residue should go in the trash. Shredded paper should also be placed in the trash.

In Claremont, the compost stream generally accepts only food and food scraps. This includes produce, dairy, eggs, meat, bones, baked goods, and vegetable peels and seeds.

Most paper-based foodservice items, such as plates, cups, and napkins, are not accepted. Many products labeled “compostable,” including plant-based plastic cups and utensils, are also not accepted locally. These items often do not break down quickly enough in industrial composting systems, provide little nutrient value, and may contain chemicals like PFAS that are harmful to compost and soil.

Compostable non-food items include unbleached paper napkins and wooden utensils that contain no dyes, bleaches, or added chemicals.

All HP ink cartridges include a prepaid return shipping label in the box. Simply attach the label and drop the box off at Mail Services in the Pendleton Building. Mail Services also offers office pickups for ink cartridges, batteries, hazardous lightbulbs, and other small e-waste on the last Wednesday of each month.

If you don’t have a return label, you can drop ink cartridges off at the Mail Room or at the Sustainability Office in the basement of Harwood Court.

You may also take ink cartridges to a Staples store for store credit. Staples provides credit for up to ten cartridges per month, though they will accept additional cartridges beyond that limit.

E-waste includes electronics such as phones, tablets, computers, printers, hard drives, speakers, keyboards, and other electronic devices. Devices that are past their useful life can be dropped off in the Mail Room or outside of the Sustainability Office in Harwood.

For college-owned devices or devices that contain sensitive information, please contact ITS for disposal information.

Most lightbulbs have lettering indicating if it is an LED, halogen, or other type of bulb. 

LED Bulbs

LED bulbs are not generally hazardous and can be disposed of in the trash. However, they do contain recyclable materials and can be placed in the bulb drop-off container in the Mail Room or outside the Sustainability Office.

Fluorescent Bulbs

Fluorescent bulbs contain small amounts of mercury vapor, which is a hazardous substance. Fluorescent bulbs and should be placed in the bulb drop-off bins in the Mail Room or outside the Sustainability Office. Please use care to avoid breaking bulbs as this can release harmful vapor and glass shards.

Incandescent Bulbs

Incandescent bulbs do not contain hazardous materials or recyclable materials, and can be disposed of in the trash. Take care not to break the bulbs so that glass shards don’t cut through trash bags and hurt custodial staff.

Halogen Bulbs

Halogen bulbs are not easily recycled, and should be disposed of in the trash (landfill).

Other types of bulbs

Other light bulbs such as mercury vapor or high-pressure sodium bulbs should be placed in the disposal bins in the Mail Room or outside the Sustainability Office.

Batteries are considered universal hazardous waste and need to be disposed of properly. There are battery drop-off bins at the Mail Room and outside the Sustainability Office. Please put tape over one or both contacts on 9V batteries to prevent them from short-circuiting, which can cause fires.

CDs and DVDs cannot be recycled and should be placed in the trash. Contact ITS about any data sensitivity concerns before disposing of them.

Books can be donated to the Book Room located in the lounge of Walker Hall. If you have a high volume of books or multiple copies of the same book, please contact the sustainability office.

For water and latex-based paints, leave them out without a lid or add an absorbent material such as cat litter to allow them to completely dry. Once dry they can be placed in the trash. 
For oil-based paints contact Environmental Health and Safety Officer Sean Young at (909) 607-7359 or email EHS.

Contact Environmental Health and Safety Officer Sean Young at (909) 607-7359 or email EHS for proper disposal.