Batteries

Pitt has a number of locations to collect dry cell (household) batteries of any size or type.  Battery collection units around campus also accept cell phones and iPods.

For safety reasons, please place clear tape over battery terminals.  If you have a large volume, please let us know you need a pickup.

Battery Recycling Locations: 

• Benedum Hall – Near Dean’s office + in Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation (153)
• Bellefield Hall – 2nd floor lobby
• Cathedral of Learning – Ground floor near vending machines
• Chevron Hall – Mail lobby
• Craig Hall – Main entrance, lobby
• Crawford Hall – 2nd floor, entrance lobby
• Dental School – Ground floor, entrance lobby
• Frick Fine Arts – 1st floor, handicapped entrance
• Lawrence Hall – Main entrance vestibule
• Learning Research and Development (LRDC) – Main entrance, 1st floor
• Litchfield Tower A – Main lobby entrance
• Lothrop Hall  – Main lobby entrance
• Posvar Hall – 1st floor, elevator lobby
• Public Health – Ground floor, lobby
• Salk Hall – 2nd floor lounge near vending machines
• Scaife Hall – 4th floor, lobby
• Sutherland Hall – Main level entrance
• Trees Hall – Main Level, entrance lobby
• William Pitt Union – Lower Level Forbes Ave. entrance near the custodial supervisor’s office

Wet cell batteries can be recycled also, but require special arrangements for safe pickup; please email zerowaste@pitt.edu or call 412-624-9521.

Chemicals

The Pitt Chemical Redistribution Program provides faculty and staff with the opportunity to obtain unopened chemicals free of charge, reducing expenses for purchasing and waste disposal. This program is currently available to laboratories located on the Pittsburgh camps.   Learn more about how to donate a chemical, request free chemicals, or view our on-hand inventory.

Compostables

We are gradually scaling up collection of compostables across campus with an aim to expand food waste composting to divert 50% of food waste to compost by 2025.  Check out our progress here!

Pitt compost locations accept dairy products, meat, bones, bread and pastries, fruits, vegetables (any food stuff) even those not commonly accepted in backyard compost (because we send Pitt compostables to an industrial compost facility).  Composting uses natural decomposition to turn organic waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer for gardening.

Materials accepted  in campus compost collection stations include:

• Food waste of any kind!
• Pizza boxes
• Coffee grounds
• Paper towels
• Napkins & tissues
• BPI-certified compostable dinnerware, cups, and utensils
• Shredded newspaper

Pitt collects post-consumer compostable materials in the following locations:

The following buildings are collecting compostables:

• Barco Law
• Benedum Hall
• Eureka Building
• Falk School (cafeteria only)
• Mervis Hall
• O’Hara Student Center
• Petersen Events Center
• William Pitt Union

You’ll also find compostable collection & drop-off at the following locations:

• Events! Look for compost collection locations Pitt events — or request become a Pitt Green Host to request it for an event you are organizing
• Farmer’s Market @ Pitt (William Pitt Union, Thursdays, 10:30am to 2pm — August through November) – Dates on our event calendar
  
• Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation (153 Benedum) – Open for public dropoff during business hours when staffed.

While there are currently limited locations on campus that collect compostables on a regular basis, the Pitt Sustainability team is actively working to scale up campus-wide compost collection locations.  Look for more building-specific collection locations for compostables to be rolled out in the future.

Compostables from our Pittsburgh campus are taken to AgRecycle‘s commercial composting facility in Washington County, Pennsylvania.

Follow along with our  compostable diversion progress on our dashboard!

If you’re interested in learning more about composting in your own backyard at home, check out Pennsylvania Resources Council for basics, classes, & resources, plus Shadyside Worms &  Worm Return for home systems.

Electronics (Cellphones & Handheld Devices)

Cell phones, I-pods, and other handheld electronics can be recycled at the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation (153 Benedum Hall), with other drop-off locations in development.

Battery collection units around campus also accept cell phones and iPods.

Be sure to wipe all data from handheld electronics before recycling them.

After being properly decommissioned by Pitt Surplus, these small electronics are recycled by eLoop.

Electronics (Large Devices)

Electronic devices include unwanted computers, monitors, televisions, audio equipment, printers, laptops, fax machines, telephones, and other electronic equipment. Because electronic equipment may contain heavy metals (e.g., lead, mercury, and cadmium) and other toxic materials that can become hazardous to human health and the environment, it must be properly disposed of and recycled.  Do not place any electronic equipment in the trash, hallways or loading docks, even if it is broken.

Surplus Property will pick up your e‑waste free of charge.  Contact Pitt Surplus for electronics pickup.

After being properly decommissioned by Pitt Surplus, the University’s electronics waste is responsibly handled by eLoop.

Fluorescent Lamps

Pitt recycles fluorescent tubes from campus via special arrangement; please email us at zerowaste@pitt.edu or call 412-624-9521.

These materials are handled by Scott Electric.

Furniture & Equipment

Pitt employees should donate all unwanted furniture & equipment to Pitt Surplus.

Students should donate all unwanted furniture and household items to Clutter for a Cause during move out.

Ink & Toner Cartridges

Keurig / K-Pods

There are LOTS of options to make coffee consumption more sustainable, including composting your grounds from traditional coffee, switching to beans-to-cup machines, or using reusable Keurig filters.  You could also switch to compostable k-pods.

However, if you’re using Keurig K-Pods, please divert them from the landfill by enrolling in the Keurig Grounds to Grow On program (free to Pitt offices). Non-compostable K-Pods are separated by Keurig; plastic and foil are recycled; and grounds are composted.

Medicine / Pharmeceuticals

The University of Pittsburgh has two locations where staff, faculty, students, and the public can drop off unused or expired medications safely and securely:

• Public Safety Building – Lobby during business hours
• University Pharmacy at Nordenberg Hall – During business hours

Pharmaceuticals are  disposed by third-party incineration.

Plastics

We agree, recycling plastics these days is confusing.  More often than not, the answer is that the plastic in your hand is not recyclable.  Choose to Reuse when you can, especially with Pitt’s Choose to Reuse to-go container program!

Otherwise, recyclable plastics should be placed in single stream recycling bins; please follow our recycling rules:

Accepted

• Bottles, jars, and jugs
• Cold coffee cups (#1 or 2 plastic; no lids)

NOT Accepted Plastics

• Hot coffee cups
• Bags or film (Accepted at many local grocery stores)
• Cartons (paper or plastic; common for milk, juice, or soup)
• Clam shell containers
• Small lids
• Straws
• Styrofoam  (Drop off Pittsburgh Region drop-off locations for expanded polystyrene)

Pitt’s single stream recycling is picked up by Republic and taken to our regional Material Recovery Facility (MRF), which is responsible for receiving, sorting, and selling collected materials.

Textiles

Please continue to donate all wearable clothing and accessories to the University of Thriftsburgh (on-campus thrift store in O’Hara Student Center) or to your local reuse stores!

Pitt’s collection locations for clean, unusable, and end-of-life textiles are listed below:

Accepted

• Clothing, coats, and jackets
• Linens, towels, bedding, drapes, and curtains
• Hats, gloves, belts, shoes, jewelry, and other accessories.

Not Accepted

• Mattress toppers.
• Pillows or stuffed animals
• Hazardous waste
• Single stream recyclables

Collected textiles are diverted back into the circular economy by Goodwill SWPA.

Locations

Collection units have been placed around campus near existing toner and/or battery diversion locations, as listed below.

• 7500 Thomas Blvd. Pittsburgh PA 15208 – Large blue bin in parking lot  (This location is open to the public for textile drop-offs during normal business hours (M-F, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) 
• Alumni Hall – Main Lobby, Lytton St. Entrance
• Benedum Hall – Lobby
• Biomedical Science Tower – Lobby
• Cathedral of Learning – Ground Floor (Near Elevators)
• Chevron Hall – Hallway to right of lobby near toner & inkjet cartridge recycling.
• Craig Hall – Main Lobby
• Eureka Building – Main Lobby
• Hillman Library – Ground Floor Lobby
• Litchfield Towers – Lobby near ATM
• Mervis Hall – Main Lobby
• O’Hara Student Center – Hallway near Men’s Rest Room (Internal) & Parking Lot (External)
  
• Park Plaza – Main Lobby
• Petersen Events Center – Mezzanine, 2nd Floor
• Public Safety Building – Forbes Avenue Lobby
• Salk Hall
• Scaife Hall – 4th Floor, Terrace St. Entrance
• Posvar Hall – Main Lobby (Near Elevators)
• Public Health – DeSoto Lobby
• William Pitt Union – Main Lobby

Clothing and textiles make up ~6.3% of the current waste stream, so represent a campus- and city-wide opportunity to keep textiles in the circular economy.