The University of Saskatchewan has an effective and easy-to-use Single-Stream Recycling program. This means that all clean recyclables can be placed in any blue bin around campus and they will be effectively removed from the waste stream. Nearly everything can be recycled, so take the time to get to know and embrace the Single-Stream Recycling system around campus to help us reduce waste.

For more or printable information, please refer to our Single-Stream Recycling Guide.

Single-Stream Recycling

The university's recycling program is single-stream in nature, meaning that all types of recyclables can go into any recycling bin you see on campus. This includes:

• Paper (clean and uncontaminated)
• Cardboard
• Glass
• Plastic (excluding plastic bags or film)
• Metal
• Beverage containers (excluding disposable coffee cups)

Batteries and Small Electronics

Personal batteries and electronics can be recycled by Call2Recycle at various public locations. Visit www.call2recycle.ca to find locations near you.

Institutional (work-related) batteries can be brought to the following campus battery collection locations: 

• Agriculture Stores (Agriculture Building)
• Health Science Stores (Health Science Building)
• Safety Resources (Research Annex)
• Chemistry Stores (Thorvaldson Building)
• Facilities Stores (University Services Building)
• WCVM Shipping and Receiving
• Engineering Shipping and Receiving

Recycling Ink and Toner Cartridges

There are multiple options for recycling ink and toner on campus:

1. Supreme Basics Recycling Program: Just hand any cartridges to the Delivery Driver when he arrives with your next order.
2. USask IT Acquisitions: Just drop off any cartridges to their front desk at Room 38 of the Education building and they will deal with the rest.

Other Recyclables

Toner and Ink Cartridges

Supreme Basics, the university's contracted supplier for office and IT supplies, will take back your empty toner and ink cartridges as part of their sustainability program and ensure they are properly recycled. Simply return them to the Supreme Basics driver on the next visit, or contact the dedicated customer service team, or add a note on your next online order to request a pickup. All contacts for the program provided by Supreme Basics can be found on the in this document.

Other Items or Materials

For information on the best places to donate or recycle various materials or items, the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council has a searchable database.

Household Hazardous Waste

Some things need special handling for safe recycling or disposal. For example, compact fluorescent bulbs have small quantities of mercury in them. The City of Saskatoon recycles or disposes safely of a variety of items or materials at their monthly Household Hazardous Waste Days.

Landfill

All non-recyclable, non-hazardous materials can enter the university's landfill waste stream. Remember that landfillable waste is the last resort in the waste hierarchy and that all other options—waste reduction, reuse, recycling, or composting—should be pursued if possible before waste enters the landfill.

Recycling and landfill bins vary across campus, but all bins feature uniform signage as seen below.

Office Containers and Bins

The following bins may be seen in offices around campus.

Please reserve the large open blue bins for bulk paper and cardboard recycling.

For small blue bins with the small black side attachment, use the black bin for landfill waste.

Outdoor Containers and Bins

The following bins be seen around campus outdoors.

The "Big Bellies", while featuring different signage, are still fine for recycling (left) and landfill (right) waste.

Please do not use large university dumpsters for personal waste.

Educational Signage

Following the Office's Community-Based Social Marketing recycling communications revamp in 2015, we have begun rolling out educational signage to accompany some of our bins around campus. These posters are meant to highlight some of the more troublesome or confusing aspects of campus recycling and should help to clear up misconceptions.

The five different posters can be seen in PDF format below.

• Caretaker Practices
• Black vs. Clear Garbage Bags
• Small Plastic Waste
• Recycling Contamination
• Coffee Cups

Residence Recycling Guides

For students in residence looking to make full use of the Single-Stream Recycling program, please refer to the following guides that contain building-specific informtaion:

• College Quarter/Graduate House
• Voyageur Place
• McEown Park

Special Handling Requirements

Shredded paper must be collected within another bag, which must be tied up before entering the Single-Stream Recycling system:

Plastic bags and film is no longer recyclable and must go into the landfill stream.

The following items will be accepted into the Single-Stream Recycling program provided that they are clean and uncontaminated:

• Lab plastics
• Custodial cleaning products (please rinse)
• Aluminum foil

Unapproved Items

While the university's Single-Stream Recycling program is very easy to use, there are some limits to the kinds of items that can be recycled.

The following items cannot enter the Single-Stream Recycling system:

• Plastic bags or film
• Food contaminated paper or cardboard (e.g. pizza boxes)
• Tissues, napkins, and paper towels
  • Special Note: It may be possible to compost these items. While the university does not offer a campus composting program, individual clubs or units may offer composting services. Check with those around you to see if there is a local option for composting these items rather than adding them to the waste stream.
• Confetti paper
• Styrofoam and other foam packing materials
• Light bulbs
  • Contact us at the Office of Sustainability for light bulb recycling options.
• Window glass, water glasses, or mirrors
• Batteries
• Garbage, organize, hazardous, or unregulated waste

Are you planning a special event and need recycling services for it?  Do you need help planning the event to ensure it does not generate a lot of waste? The Office of Sustainability has many resources and tips available for making sure your event maintains a minimal waste footprint. Read more at our Sustainable Events page.

For conferences or meetings, the Sustainable Conference Guide has practical tips for hosting a meeting or conference. The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council also has some great advice on greening events.

For all other requests, feel free to contact the Office of Sustainability for assistance.

• Learn More About Sustainable Events