Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about what Facilities Services and other groups on campus are doing to make the grounds and buildings more sustainable by reading our Frequently Asked Questions. Find the answers to many questions below or download the full FAQs (PDF).
Do you have a question that's not answered here? Email the Office of Sustainability to find an answer.
- How does the University manage recycling on campus?
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The University of Chicago has single-stream recycling, meaning that all recyclable items can be dropped into any recycling container on campus. This includes glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard, and plastic. On campus, in the House System, and in University owned residences, the following items may be thrown into the recycling bin:
- Aluminum food and beverage containers, including cans, foil, and pie tins
- Glass food and beverage containers – brown, clear or green
- Iron cans
- Plastic containers – clear and pigmented
- Newsprint
- Corrugated cardboard (flattened)
- Magazines and catalogs
- Cereal boxes
- Telephone books
- Office paper
- Mail, including FedEx envelopes and envelopes with plastic windows
NOTE:
- All glass, plastic, aluminum containers, and tin cans must be empty and free of metal caps and rings and contain less than 5% food debris
- Tissues, paper towels or other paper that has been in contact with food is not acceptable
- No wax-coated paper or carbon paper
- No plastic bags or saran wrap
- Do renters in residential university apartments have recycling options?
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Yes. Residential Services uses the same waste management company as the University, and thus, has the same recycling options. All recyclable items can be dropped into any recycling container on campus. This includes glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard, and plastic. In University owned residences, the following items may be thrown into the recycling bin:
- Aluminum food and beverage containers, including cans, foil, and pie tins
- Glass food and beverage containers – brown, clear or green
- Iron cans
- Plastic containers – clear and pigmented
- Newsprint
- Corrugated cardboard (flattened)
- Magazines and catalogs
- Cereal boxes
- Telephone books
- Office paper
- Mail, including FedEx envelopes and envelopes with plastic windows
NOTE:
- All glass, plastic, aluminum containers, and tin cans must be empty and free of metal caps and rings and contain less than 5% food debris
- Tissues, paper towels or other paper that has been in contact with food is not acceptable
- No wax-coated paper or carbon paper
- No plastic bags or saran wrap
- How do I recycle in the House System?
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As of January 2, 2011, the House System (undergraduate housing) uses the same waste management company as the University, and thus, has the same recycling options. All recyclable items can be dropped into any recycling container on campus or in the dorms. This includes glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard, and plastic. The following items may be thrown into the recycling bin:
- Aluminum food and beverage containers, including cans, foil, and pie tins
- Glass food and beverage containers – brown, clear or green
- Iron cans
- Plastic containers – clear and pigmented
- Newsprint
- Corrugated cardboard (flattened)
- Magazines and catalogs
- Cereal boxes
- Telephone books
- Office paper
- Mail, including FedEx envelopes and envelopes with plastic windows
NOTE:
- All glass, plastic, aluminum containers, and tin cans must be empty and free of metal caps and rings and contain less than 5% food debris
- Tissues, paper towels or other paper that has been in contact with food is not acceptable
- No wax-coated paper or carbon paper
- No plastic bags or saran wrap
- How do I request a recycling bin for my office?
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Please submit a service request to the Facilities Services Work Center via website or email. Note whether you need a desk-side container for office use or a large bin for a one-time pick up (for example, to clean out an office). Your work request will be placed in a queue for dispatch.
- How does the University dispose of fluorescent lamps?
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Facilities Services manages the disposal and recycling of lamps—primarily the fluorescent tubes used in overhead lights. To dispose of fluorescent bulbs, contact the Facilities Work Center at 773.834.1414. Facilities will remove the bulb within seven to 14 days.
- What about electronic waste?
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E-Waste events will be held annually in the Fall, providing the opportunity for community members and University staff, faculty, and students to drop off their broken, outdated or unwanted items for free recycling. For those who are unable to attend the single-day event, drop-off locations will be offered throughout campus for the entire week leading up to the event. While the event focuses on e-waste, many more items are accepted, including Styrofoam and furniture. For those who miss the event and have items to recycle, please visit the Chicago Recycling Coalition or Earth911.com for instructions.
Additionally, IT Services offers a free Computer Recycling Program, and accepts computers, laptops, monitors, keyboards, modems, printers, and scanners. If you have a computer, functional or broken, that you no longer have a use for, you can donate it to the Computer Recycling Program. Working computers will be refurbished and donated to local charities and schools. Non-working computers will be processed in an environmentally sound manner.
For more information on disposing of electronic and hazardous waste, please visit the City of Chicago’s website.
- Does the University recycle household batteries?
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Yes. There are about two dozen drop-off points on campus and the Housing and Dining Services has an additional 30. Facilities Services operates a program for non-rechargeable batteries of all shapes and sizes. Any household batteries are acceptable (excluding cell phone batteries). Batteries are picked up within a week or so after a call is placed to the Facilities Work Center at 773.834.1414. The recycling service is free. In the city of Chicago, batteries may also be dropped off at Walgreens stores and public libraries.
- Is paper that gets shredded on campus recycled?
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Yes, the shredding company, Secure Eco Shred, handles the recycling.
- Does the University compost food waste?
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Yes. Food waste is currently separated and picked up for delivery by the Resource Center in Bartlett, Pierce, and South Campus dining halls. Composting is one of the easiest ways you can reduce the amount of food that ends up in landfill. Composting turns certain food scraps into a valuable soil nutrient for lawns and gardens.
- Why does the University use leaf blowers?
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Leaf blowers are used primarily only when an area cannot be effectively swept or raked. It’s imperative to remove leaves in a timely manner, as they can clog sewage drains or kill the grass if left on lawns. All grounds crew members are trained on safety issues regarding leaf blowers, and currently using noise and reduction equipment. The leaf blowers used on campus are warranted to meet EPA standards for emissions.
- Tell me about the beet salt. Does it really work?
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Yes. For the second consecutive year, Facilities Services is applying Eco Salt to icy sidewalks and entry surfaces to remove ice and prevent re-freeze in the winter. Eco Salt consists of a sugar beet byproduct, which is typically dumped down the drain as waste, and it combines this all-natural agricultural waste product with salt brine. This environmentally friendly product is less harmful to landscape than other de-icing products, acts longer on sidewalks and will increase equipment life because it is anti-corrosive.
- Which green products does Facilities Services currently purchase?
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All bathrooms on campus managed by Facilities Services (which excludes Booth and Residence Halls and Commons) provide tissue paper with 20 percent postconsumer recycled fiber, paper towels with 40 percent postconsumer recycled fiber, and environmentally preferable hand soap. The new hand soap is biodegradable and reduces human and aquatic toxicity while reducing smog production potential.
We also use low-VOC paint for interior spaces to improve indoor air quality. VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, often found in paints and finishes, release low-level toxic emissions into the air for years after application.
All of the fluids for automotive repair are recovered and recycled. This includes motor oil, anti-freeze, transmission fluid, and car batteries. Tires are also recycled. When doing maintenance on air-conditioning units, refrigerants are captured and then re-used.
- Does the University purchase any green energy?
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Yes. Housing and Dining Services currently purchases 5 percent of their total annual megawatt hours used in the dorms. The purchase goes toward buying wind credits from the supplier, which supports alternative energy in Illinois.
- Are green cleaning supplies used on campus?
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In June of 2009, the University completed roll out a program to use green cleaning supplies in all campus buildings managed by Facilities Services. The green cleaning products are surface, floor, bath, glass and multi-purpose cleaners. Traditional cleaning products contain toxins that are harmful to our health and the environment. They may contribute to poor indoor air quality and contain chemicals that cause various health concerns.
- How do I report waste heat (an office that’s too hot) or waste cooling (an office that’s too cold)?
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Call the Facilities Services hotline at 773.834.1414 and provide detailed information for a work order.
- What is the policy for abandoned bikes?
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Bikes abandoned or illegally locked are subject to removal by Facilities Services, which will store impounded bicycles at the Young Building, 5555 South Ellis Avenue, for 10 days, during which time a bicycle can be reclaimed by calling 773-834-1414. After 10 days, the bicycle will be donated to charity.
- What is LEED?
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Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to identify goals, opportunities, and best practices to improve energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste reduction, indoor environment, materials and resources of new and existing buildings. The University has already achieved LEED Gold Certification for 6045 S. Kenwood Building and the newly renovated Searle Chemistry Laboratory.
Other UChicago buildings in line for LEED Certification include:
• Reva and David Logan Center for Creative and Performing Arts
• William Eckhardt Research Center
• Adaptive Reuse of 5757 South University Avenue
To be complete in Spring 2011, the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library boasts many green aspects, but will not pursue LEED Silver certification. As a result, other aspects were considered to ensure that the library is more sustainable. Installing Low E, insulated glass and fritte glass to reduce solar heat gain under the dome achieves 9% energy savings (LEED Silver requires 14% energy savings). Maintaining the constant cooling of the underground book environment will be more energy efficient, as it will not be exposed to outdoor light. Furthermore, the interior shaft wall (more than two feet thick) is designed to keep the temperature and humidity constant, decreasing energy expenditure during seasonal changes, which is often where most energy is spent.
- Does the University recycle construction material?
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For each major University construction project, the City of Chicago requires that at least 50% of construction and demolition debris, as measured by weight, produced on site be recycled. Additionally, the signs announcing construction on campus are all fabricated with recyclable materials (aluminum, stainless steel and wood), and vinyl die cut logos and text are applied to the painted surfaces. Where possible, aluminum signs are reclaimed from construction sites and reused: the signage vendor will touch up paint to remove any scratches; the vinyl die cut logo and text are removed and new vinyl added without fabricating a new sign, extending the useful life of the existing sign. Some of the newer campus signs have internal LED lighting for energy efficiency. When replacing old signs with new, the signage vendor takes the older signs and reclaims any metals suitable for recycling.
