Recycling at Emory

"Recycling is the critical first link in the manufacturing value chain and is an important component of the protection of the environment and American competitiveness. Recycled commodities such as metal, paper, plastics, and others feed U.S. manufacturing operations including transportation, infrastructure, manufactured goods, electronics, healthcare and personal supplies, and other priority needs for today’s world. Without recycling, we would need to harvest the earth for its natural resources, and/or depend on foreign countries for raw materials. Our world, our planet, and our livelihoods depend on recycling." Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI, 2023).

About the Program

The Emory Recycles program recycles glass, paper, aluminum, and cardboard at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) located on campus at 868 Peavine Creek Drive Atlanta GA, 30322. The MRF provides a public drop-off site for the surrounding community and accepts single-stream, glass, and cardboard for those who do not have access to curbside recycling.

Market conditions may preclude recyclables and organic materials from being diverted from landfills. Emory contracts with a waste management firm that uses due diligence with contracted downstream vendors to attempt to divert materials, whenever possible, from landfills.

The below items are accepted in our single-stream dumpsters:

  • Aluminum
  • Cardboard
  • Paper
  • Plastic

Bagged single-stream material cannot be recycled. Please debag! 😊

The below items are NOT accepted in our single-stream dumpsters:

  • Tires
  • Mattresses
  • Refrigerators
  • Electronics
  • Food waste
  • Building and Maintenance Materials

NO DUMPING! Monitored by 24-hour surveillance cameras.

What Do We Recycle?

  • Moving boxes
  • Shipping boxes
  • Furniture boxes

Remove all packing materials and break them down.

  • Bricks
  • Cardboard
  • Concrete
  • Metal
  • Paper
  • Wallboard
  • Wood

If you would like to speak to a representative to discuss your needs, please call 404-727-7777.

  • Glass bottles and jars of all colors

Removing labels is not necessary. Food jars must be empty of food residue.

  • All metal cans and foils (no food)
  • Aluminum beverage cans
  • Paper and binder clips, staples, magnets

  • Colored paper, receipt paper, card stock, and glossy paper
  • Paper file folders
  • Newspapers, magazines, books, and phone books
  • Small cardboard
  • Paper board like frozen food boxes, milk cartons, etc.

  • Plastic containers including beverage bottles and cups, toiletry bottles, food containers, aseptic bags
  • Bubble wrap, tape, and labels
  • Dental floss, sticker paper, mylar balloons and wrappers, K-cups (after emptied)
  • Mixed materials like pens, markers, sponges, bubble-lined envelopes plastic-lined wrappers, binder clips, staplers, tacks
  • Plastic bottles, plastic clam shells, and plastic trays (no food)
  • Plastic zip bags, plastic wrap, grocery bags
  • Snack wrappers, chip bags, cereal bags

  • Industrial metals excluding tin and aluminum

  • Printer paper
  • Notebook paper
  • Envelopes with or without windows
  • Mat colored paper that tears white

What Don't We Recycle?

  • Cat litter and dog waste
  • Soiled Styrofoam food containers
  • Used baby diapers
  • Used sharps in a rigid cardboard container

Lab Recycling

  • Paper towels
  • Non-infectious animal bedding
  • No contaminated lab wipes and paper towels

Food waste should be placed in an appropriate compost container outside of the lab. Food is not permitted in Emory labs. 

  • Glass bottles
  • Vessels
  • Instruments of any color
  • No broken glass, Pyrex, or borosilicate glass

  • Newsprint
  • Magazines
  • Folders
  • Colored paper
  • Small cardboard
  • Cardboard packaging materials

  • Pipette trays and scoops
  • Plastic jars and bottles
  • Film packaging
  • Tip racks
  • Other plastic products or packaging

  • Printer paper
  • Notebook paper
  • Mat colored paper that tears white
  • Envelopes without plastic windows

  • Landfill materials

  • Pyrex and borosilicate glass
  • Ice and gel cold packs
  • Reuse non-hazardous and/or autoclaved Pyrex and gel packs
  • Used sharps in a rigid cardboard container

Event Recycling

  • Compostable Cutlery
  • Compostable Food Containers
  • Wood Beverage Stirrers
  • Food Waste
  • Napkins and Paper Towels
  • Soiled Paper Products
  • Tissues

  • Plastics
  • Metals
  • Mixed paper
  • Cardboard

Office Recycling