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Items to Recycle

The following items can go directly into any recycling bag. Recycling bags can be obtained from Materials Management at no cost.

Pallet Recycling and Reusing
Pallet recycling is responsible for taking millions of wood pallets and over a billion board feet of lumber out of the waste stream each year, substantially reducing the burden on landfills. According to the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products of Virginia Tech 62% of all pallets received for recycling are repaired and reused. 14.9% required no repair and are simply reused."

UTMB takes pride in adding pallets to it's conservation program. Pallets are either recycled, reused or returned to area vendors.
To report pallets for pickup, call the E.A.R.T.H Hotline (32784)

Cardboard
UTMB receives tons of corrugated cardboard on campus every day. Recycling one ton of cardboard saves over 9 cubic yards of landfill space and saves hundreds of dollars in waste disposal fees. Help by recycling cardboard the following ways.

• Flatten your boxes and make sure they are empty. (They take up less space and make it easier for Environmental Services to pick up.)
• Do not include any packing material such as shrink wrap or "Styrofoam" peanuts.
• Staples and tape do not need to be removed.

If you have large volumes of cardboard, please call the E.A.R.T.H. Hotline (32784) and arrange a special pickup.

Ink Jet Cartridges
Ink Jet cartridges are recycled through a recycling vendor – Mailers are postage paid and bar coded for crediting UTMB money for every ink jet cartridge returned. For your convenience, used cartridges may be put in a manila envelope and dropped in the campus mail to the Recycling Coordinator, FOAM, Route 1116.

• Contact Ken Steblein for these mailers or any questions.
• Remember, we accept any form of ink jet cartridges from office, home, friends, etc.

To order free ink jet mailers:

• Phone orders will be handled at ext. 23599

Toner Cartridge Recycling
UTMB is reimbursed money for every toner cartridge in good condition that can be refurbished and/or refilled. Contact Sodexho for a toner cartridge pick-up at ext. 26151 or CLEAN. 

Batteries
Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) will pickup batters free of charge from your area on-site at UTMB in Galveston. If you generate de-charged, expired or worn-out batteries, including alkaline, nickel-cadmium (NiCad), lead acid, lithium or other types, begin collecting the batteries for pickup. Use a container such as a neat cardboard or plastic box labeled with the type of batteries to be collected. EH&S requires that a "Chemical Transfer Form" be filled out before requesting a pickup to ensure proper records are maintained, and also that a significant amount of batteries are collected (or as is timely) before requesting a pickup.
To request a supply of Chemical Transfer Forms, request a battery pickup, or for further information, contact Environmental Protection Management at (409) 747-0515.

Mercury Thermometer Exchange Program
The University of Texas System, through an EPA-funded grant, has implemented a project to demonstrate alternatives to mercury-containing devices. Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) will trade PerformaTherm thermometers for mercury thermometers so researchers and clinicians can assess whether the alternative works in place of mercury. PerformaTherm is the first non-mercury thermometer with the performance of mercury. It meets all standards for accuracy, tolerance and uncertainty. Those interested in evaluating mercury-free thermometers can contact the Environmental Protection Management Program at (409) 747-0515.

 

Date Posted: 02/14/2008