You see them all over the campus. Recycling bins. They are in every building, and available for your convenient use. Please take time to look at the recyclable items shared below, and help by making sure items that can be recycled are put in the proper bins.
GRCC’s waste hauler takes all recyclable materials to the Kent County Recycling and Education Center. Therefore the college follows their guidelines. Kent County uses single-stream recycling, meaning, glass, metal, plastic and cartons can all go in the same recycling bin. GRCC has a separate bin for recycling paper.
Remember, all recyclables should be empty, clean and loose. And when in doubt, throw it out.
Items that are recycled on campus
Download the Recycling Guide PDF
Landfill
- Anything stringy like cords, cables, hoses or clothing
- Food
- Laminated paper/photos/stickers
- Napkins/toweling
- Plastic gloves
- Plastic wrap/sandwich bags
- Straws/single use plastic utensils
Not sure? Throw it out
Recycle
- Aluminum foil
- Glass bottles and jars - If caps are larger than a milk jug cap you can place the lid in the recycling bin, otherwise toss in the landfill bin. Labels are okay. No light bulbs, mirrors, windows panes, Pyrex or bakeware are accepted.
- Milk, juice and soup cartons
- Plastics - #1-7 are recyclable. Caps may be left on. In the Grand Rapids area the types of plastics mentioned above are the only recyclable densities; all others must be discarded as trash.
- Steel and aluminum bottles and cans
- No foam
- No plastic bags
Paper
- Clean pizza boxes
- Cold and hot paper cups
- Flattened cardboard
- Junk mail and office paper
- Newspaper and magazines
- Paper boxes and containers
- No shredded paper
Batteries
Look for the black battery recycle containers around campus.
Electronic Recycling at GRCC
As part of its environmental stewardship responsibility, GRCC contracts with Comprenew to pick up and dispose of the college’s e-waste. Comprenew is the only nonprofit electronic recycler in the world and the only one in Michigan certified by both the Responsible Recycling (R2) and e-Stewards. In other words, they are held to the highest standards.
Partnering with a company that is accredited and held to the highest e-waste recycling standards is important as there are many toxic substances and heavy metals found in cell phones, computers, and other electronics. These include, but aren’t limited to Cadmium, Arsenic, Mercury, Lead, Barium, Nickel, and Flame Retardants. These toxins aren’t much of a contamination risk when using electronics properly. The key to preventing contamination is the proper disposal at the end of their useful life.
According to the National Library of Medicine and the World Health Organization, e-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream globally! E-waste must be disposed of properly to mitigate the environmental impact on all living things and the planet.
If you have e-waste at home that you would like to bring to GRCC to recycle, call Media Technologies (616) 234-3830 or Facilities (616) 234-4057 to make an appointment. You can also email media@grcc.edu . As long as you can carry it into the recycle station here at GRCC, you can recycle it here.
E-waste items that can be recycled include computers, monitors, laptops, CRT monitors, TVs, printers, scanners, copiers, network equipment, telephone systems, fax machines, air conditioners, microwaves, cell phones, sound and audio equipment, and gaming systems.
For more information about Comprenew and to see the list of items that can be recycled, go to their website: www.comprenew.org
SafeMeds Program
A secure drop box has been installed at Campus Police, located at 25 Lyon St. NE, to anonymously drop off unneeded and expired prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, supplements, pet medicine and medicated ointments and lotions. Collected items will be properly disposed of. This program may be used by GRCC students, staff and faculty, making it easy to dispose of medications.
Before placing items in the box, block out all identifying personal information on the prescription label, but do not remove the name of the medication.