Recycling Guide
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville makes it easy to recycle with "single-stream" recycling. This means that all recyclables go in the same container.
The same recycling rules apply throughout the city of Platteville.
What can be recycled?
Cardboard
Place large cardboard next to the recycling bin; small pieces can go in the bin.
- Don't Recycle: Wax or plastic-coated cardboard
- Do Recycle: All other cardboard, flattened and no larger than 3' by 3', including pizza boxes with limited food residue, and egg cartons
Glass
Broken glass cannot be recycled. Wrap broken glass in a box, tape shut, and dispose of in a garbage can. Always remember to rinse off food or product residue before recycling.
- Don't Recycle: Broken glass, ceramics or pottery, drinking glasses, light bulbs, mirrors, Pyrex glass, or windows
- Do Recycle: All other brown, blue, green, white, or clear glass
Metal
Nearly all metal is recyclable on campus, including small scrap metal and aluminum foil. Most metals can be recycled indefinitely, so if you are purchasing a disposable container, metal is often the way to go. Always remember to rinse off food or product residue before recycling.
- Don't Recycle: Brake rotors (they jam the recycling separator), wire clothes hangers
- Do Recycle: All other metal, including aerosol cans, aluminum cans, empty juice containers (without paper), paint cans (without paint), small scrap metal items, steel/tin cans
Paper
Nearly all paper products can be recycled, including cardboard and paper with staples. All products must be free of grease or oil. Greasy paper cannot be recycled because it repels water in the recycling process. Always remember to rinse off food or product residue before recycling.
- Don't Recycle: Carbon paper, coffee cups that had creamer in them, boxes or containers with food residue, hardbound books (you must remove binding to recycle the pages), paper plates with food residue, paper towels, stickers, tissue paper
- Do Recycle: All other paper products, including egg cartons, envelopes (even with the windows), gift wrapping (non-foil type), ice cream cartons, juice cartons or boxes, junk mail, magazines, milk cartons, newspaper, notebooks without spiral binding, office paper, phone books
Plastic
All plastics numbered #1-7 are recyclable on campus, including plastic bags and bubble wrap. Plastic recycling numbers are usually printed on the bottom of items. Plastic lids and caps can be left on bottles for recycling. Always remember to rinse off food or product residue before recycling.
- Don't Recycle: Disposable diapers, foil-lined items like cookie and chip bags, food and candy wrappers, packing peanuts, plastic bags that are not transparent, plastic bottles that held harmful chemicals*, stickers, Styrofoam, Tupperware, compact discs (CDs), wax or plastic-coated cardboard
- Do Recycle: All other plastic, including bubble wrap, clamshell containers (clear plastic food containers), detergent bottles, disposable coffee cup lids, disposable plastic cups, milk jugs, shampoo bottles, transparent packing film and bags**, vitamin bottles, water bottles
*Harmful chemicals include vehicle oil, pool cleaner, herbicides, etc.
**Plastic bags or packing film must be transparent and bagged together and tied shut in bundles smaller than a basketball so that they cannot blow away easily.
Ink Cartridges
Ink cartridges can be recycled in the Markee Pioneer Student Center; there is a collection bin located next to the Bears Den. Cartridges can also be sent through campus mail to the Sustainability Office, where they will be shipped off for recycling.
Batteries
Batteries can be placed in the battery recycling bin located next the Bears Den in the Markee Pioneer Student Center. Large batteries or a large quantity of batteries can be picked up directly by Pioneer Restore.
Cell Phones
Personal cell phones can be recycled in the Markee Pioneer Student Center; there is a collection bin located next to the Bears Den. University-owned cell phones must be recycled through the campus electronics recycling program.