Recycling Information for Colleges and Universities
Recycling Requirements
Public universities and community colleges are required by North Carolina General Statutes to collect and recycle aluminum cans, newspaper, office paper, recyclable glass and plastic bottles. They must also comply with statewide landfill bans.
Furthermore, public universities and community colleges are mandated by General Statutes to purchase recycled content goods and services. This is a key component of closing the recycling loop: purchasing products with recycled content creates markets for recyclable materials.
Public University and Community College Annual Recycling Report
Data from 40 reporting schools show they generated a total of 21,421 tons of discarded material. Of that total, 14,987 tons (73 percent) were sent to a landfill for disposal, and 6,434 tons (27 percent) were recovered for reuse or recycling.
Contact Hannah Stroot at hannah.stroot@deq.nc.gov or 919-707-8339 with any questions about the report.
Annual Reports:
North Carolina Public University and Community College Annual Recycling Report 2022-23
North Carolina Public University and Community College Annual Recycling Report 2020-21 2021-22
North Carolina Public University and Community College Annual Recycling Report 2019-20
North Carolina Public University and Community College Annual Recycling Report 2018-19
North Carolina Public University and Community College Annual Recycling Report 2017-18
North Carolina Public University and Community College Annual Recycling Report 2016-17
North Carolina Public University and Community College Annual Recycling Report 2015-16
North Carolina Public University and Community College Annual Recycling Report 2014-15
Additional Resources
The Collegiate Recyclers Coalition is a council of the Carolina Recycling Association that brings collegiate recycling coordinators together with the goal of sharing information to develop more comprehensive waste reduction, reuse, and recycling programs on college campuses in North and South Carolina.
The College and University Recycling Coalition is a nationwide non-profit organization that seeks to advance recycling and sustainable materials management at colleges and universities.