Clothes, Bags, E-Waste, & Other Recycling

Find Recycling Bins on Campus

Receptacles for items that you may need to recycle infrequently such as clothes, batteries, ink cartridges, cell phones, plastic bags, and computers, monitors, and other e-waste can be found in several locations on AU's campus. Do your part to keep these easily recycled and often toxic items out of the landfill.

Locations are current as of November 2012. If you encounter a missing bin or would like to request a bin for a new area, please e-mail zerowaste@american.edu.

Batteries

Most batteries end up in landfills, where they contaminate water and soil. Recycle batteries and buy rechargeable replacements.

Where to recycle:

Anderson Hall - Lobby
Hughes Hall - Lobby
Letts Hall - Lobby
Leonard Hall - Lobby
McDowell Hall - Lobby
Asbury - 2nd Floor Work Table
Bender Library - Lower Level Stairwell "RecycleLand"
Media Production Center - Basement
SIS Building - Main Entrance & Welcome Center
Ward Circle Building - Outside room 104
Career Center - 5th Floor Butler Pavilion

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Cell Phones

As of early 2010, there were already 4.6 billion cell phone users in the world. Every time one of those users gets a new cell phone and doesn't recycle or donate the old one, another cell phone - and all of the toxic components - end up in a landfill forever.

Where to recycle:

Anderson Hall - Lobby
Hughes Hall - Lobby
Leonard Hall - Lobby
Letts Hall - Lobby
McDowell Hall - Lobby
Mary Graydon Center - Near bridge entryway
Bender Library - Lower Level Stairwell "RecycleLand"

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Clothes

The average American now discards 68 pounds of clothing a year, wasting energy, water and landfill space. Clothing can be used again in one form or another. Instead of discarding, use Planet Aid bins on campus to donate.

Where to recycle:

Planet Aid bins are located outside of Letts Hall at the entrance to the Letts-Anderson Quad.

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E-Waste

Electronic waste can be highly toxic and damaging to the environment. The speed at which technology changes means that we're throwing away a lot of electronics. Fortunately, many items can be reclaimed or recycled.

Where to recycle:

First, consult this list to determine what items can be picked up.
All hard drives are performed using the Department of Defense Standard DoD 5220.22M to ensure data security.
For AU surplus electronic waste, please contact AUSurplus@american.edu to schedule a pick up for your electronics.
For personal electronics, American University hosts a Personal E-Waste drive on a quarterly basis throughout the year. For questions regarding this drive, please contact zerowaste@american.edu.

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Ink Cartridges

In the U.S., more than 13 cartridges are disposed of every second, totaling an estimated 375 million each year. Of the materials that make up ink cartridges, 97 percent can be reused and recycled.

Where to recycle:

Anderson Hall - Lobby
Hughes Hall - Lobby
Leonard Hall - Lobby
Letts Hall - Lobby
McDowell Hall - Lobby
Mary Graydon Center - Near bridge entryway
Bender Library - Lower Level Stairwell "RecycleLand"

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Plastic Bags

Since the DC Bag Fee has taken effect, 75 percent of consumers report using less plastic bags. If you still have plastic bags, keep them out of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers by recycling.

Where to recycle: