Recycling on Campus
Our on-campus recycling guidelines differ from the Town of Davidson and other college campuses. Please review this page carefully.
When in doubt, throw it out!
Non-recyclable items can contaminate entire trucks of recycling, diverting them to landfill or significantly slowing down the recycling process.
If you're not sure that something is recyclable, please throw it away.
The below materials can be recycled on campus:
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Plastics
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Metal
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Cardboard
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Paper
Click on each material below for more details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where should I recycle batteries, electronics, or other materials that aren't recyclable on campus?
A: Any recycling or waste that is not accepted on campus can be dropped off at the .
Q: Do I need to rinse or dry my recyclables?
A: It's important to rinse any food residue off of plastic or metal recyclables to prevent contamination. It is not necessary to dry your recyclables.
Q: Can I recycle a pizza box?
A: No. While some containers may be made of recyclable material, once they have food residue they cannot be mixed with recyclables. This includes pizza boxes, paper plates, popcorn buckets and paper clamshells.
Q: Is it ok to put my recyclables in a plastic bag for disposal?
A: Plastic bags can get stuck in the machinery during the recycling process, so please un-bag your recyclables before disposal. You can leave them in a bag ONLY if the bag itself is recyclable (like a paper grocery bag).
Q: I'm not sure if something can be recycled, and it's not on this page. What should I do?
A: When in doubt, throw it out! It's important to only recycle approved materials to prevent contamination.
Q: Why does Davidson have these guidelines? Isn't it better to always try to recycle something?
A: These guidelines were set by our recycling hauler based on their machinery and capacity. Non-recyclable items can contaminate entire trucks of recycling, diverting them to landfill or significantly slowing down the recycling process. When in doubt, throw it out!