Tennessee Technological University

Recycling Program

The reduction of waste hauled to our landfills is the primary purpose of our recycling program. Tennessee Tech has been one of the largest contributors of paper and cardboard to the City of Cookeville – PutnamCountyRecyclingCenter. The university is recycling more than 350 tons of paper, cardboard, metals, aluminum cans, fluorescent tubes and ballasts, tires, wood pallets, yard waste and plastic each year. The recovery of a ton of paper saves approximately 4.3 cubic yards of landfill space.

Paper

Any discarded paper should be handled in one of two ways:

  • Shredded within the department. Shredded papers (strip shredded) must be bagged separately and picked up by Facilities personnel. The university will not incur extra costs for this process.
  • Collected with Cintas bins. The 95-gallon Cintas bins will be locked. Only Cintas officials can unlock the bins as the paper inside is collected. A signed certificate of destruction will be issued at the point of collection. Cintas bins can be used for any paper document if a shredder is not available or if the volume is too large for shredding in the office. Cintas will transport the paper to its shredding facility for recycling or may shred on-site (TTU campus). The university must pay for use and collection of Cintas bins. Shredded paper should not be placed in these bins.

The TTU Data Security Policy can be found at:

Bulk Printed Materials

Open recycling bins already located throughout campus may still be used to collect pre-printed bulk materials like newspapers, magazines, professional journals, blue prints, and non-slick packing paper. The university will not incur extra fees for this type of recycling.

Please do not place any paper recycling containers or bins in hallways for any reason.

Because of this recycling system, only non-paper products should be placed in regular garbage containers. Restaurant paper bags, snack wrappers, cups, etc. are considered garbage and should be placed in garbage containers. Custodians will no longer empty garbage bins that contain any recycling paper including “post-its” and adding machine paper.

Cardboard

Corrugated Cardboard Only

Please, no waxed or single-wall cardboard and no pizza boxes.

Cardboard boxes onlyare to be broken down and delivered to one of these dumpsters:

  • Dock of Food Services
  • Rear of the RoadenUniversityCenter
  • Behind Clement Hall in the Engineering Quad
  • McGee Blvd. in front of Hooper Eblen Center-east side
  • Behind Henderson Hall in parking lot
  • Behind NursingBuilding
  • Loading dock at STEMCenter

Other Recycling Bins (serviced by PutnamCounty)

Located in TechVillage next to Community Center

Newspaper

Magazines and junk mail

Plastics

Aluminum and tin cans

Glass

Items Recycled at Tennessee Tech

  • Computer paper
  • Mixed paper
  • Cardboard
  • Aluminum
  • Metal
  • Old stoves, refrigerators, and drinking fountains
  • Fluorescent tubes
  • Fluorescent ballasts
  • Motor oil
  • Kitchen grease
  • Tires
  • Wood pallets
  • Batteries
  • Plastic
  • Yard waste

Recycling Tips

  • Recycling is not trash! Paper and other recyclables are resources used to make new products. Please do not put trash into the recycling bins – only paper.
  • Ensure that all new employees and students are made aware of the recycling program.

Thanks for recycling!!!

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