Reduce Waste

Go for Zero!

Embracing resource responsibility beyond 'reduce, reuse, recycle.'

Striving toward the goal of zero waste saves natural resources, energy, landfill space and creates jobs. Plus, it's the right thing to do. Our zero waste initiatives include promoting reusable containers, composting plant-based products and food waste and recycling on our four campuses.

More than
a token effort

Reusing your daily food and drink containers makes an impact.

Refill your water bottle at the bubbler instead of buying bottled water. Refill your coffee, tea or soda cup instead of buying it in a disposable cup—and get a discount too! Try a O2GO reusable meal container on our Green Bay campus.

Details About O2GO

Clothes: a Reusable resource

Campus Closets give clothes a new life.

Clothes shopping on a college budget? Our Campus Closets, located on each of our four campuses, may have what you need. Is your closet is overflowing? Share your abundance by donating. The mission of the Campus Closet is to ensure adequate basic needs are met of all students, faculty and staff.

Email the campus closet

Student volunteering in the CK One campus closet

We're Bananas for Compost

Food waste in, nutrient-rich dirt out.

Annually, we process 64,000+ pounds of food waste which creates 30,000+ pounds of compost. That's a lot of great dirt—and we love to share it with our community; contact Grant Winslow to schedule a time to pick up your free compost. If you are a student interested in being a part of our student residence composting, sign up to participate next fall, and become part of this growing effort!

Student sign up

The Bin and Beyond...

All academic and public buildings on our campuses have recycling bins to separate paper products from other standard recyclables likes cans and bottles. That's a great place to start, but let's not stop there. Just because it doesn't go in the bin, doesn't mean you can't recycle it. Check out these collection spots for recycling specialty items on Green Bay campus and in our four campus communities:

Phones & Batteries

Look for the green cardboard "Call to Recycle" boxes to drop off cellphones, button batteries and rechargeable batteries (lithium). They are on the Cofrin Library 3rd floor and the Housing and Community Center 1st floor.

Aerosol Cans

Shaving or whipped cream? Canned Air? Cheeze Whizz? Silly String? We'll take them all! The aerosol can recycling bin is in the Wood Hall Operations Room (WS-101).

Plastic recycling with student volunteers

Plastic Film

Plastic bags and plastic wrap can't go in standard recycle bins because they jam the sorting machine's gears. But, Festival Foods, Wal-Mart and Kohl's, with locations near all or our campuses, offer plastic film recycling. Easy enough to drop and shop, right?

Printer Cartridges

The Green Bay campus mailroom takes all cartridges and toner tanks in clean packaging. We even take new cartridges you no longer use. See cartridge and toner recycling details.

Man on a
Mission

"We all need to rethink how to reduce the amount of stuff we throw away...and influence the future of manufacturing and recycling.”

Brent DuBois '01
President and CEO at Logistics Recycling, Inc. / Lamp Recyclers, Inc.

Reusing to Success

Brent DuBois, President and CEO at Logistics Recycling, Inc.

Waste Worries?

Have a waste-eliminating idea? Or not sure if something is recyclable? Reach out to Daniela Beall, our Sustainability Coordinator. She's here to help you!

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