Mohawk’s waste programs help to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and supports recycling and composting on campus. Learn more about how waste is sorted on campus and about the special collection options.
Waste Reduction
Knowing what goes where when sorting waste helps to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill and allows for more items to be recycled and composted. Mohawk provides waste sorting stations across campus to support waste sorting and to reduce our overall environmental impact.
Centralized Waste Stations
The Centralized Waste Stations allow you to properly sort your waste into Organics, Clean Containers and Landfill bins. Each bin has corresponding signage above with examples of what belongs in each waste bin.
A sink in the waste station allows users to rinse dirty food containers before recycling.
The Central Waste Stations can be found in the cafeterias at the Fennell and Stoney Creek Campuses.
Clean Containers Recycling
Place the following items in the Clean Containers bin:
- Plastic water bottles
- Aluminum cans
- Juice boxes
- Milk cartons
- Plastic food clamshells (plastics #1, #2, #3, or #5)
To increase the likelihood of plastic being properly recycled; food containers should be emptied and rinsed clean before they can go in the Clean Containers recycling bin (food waste belongs in the Organics bin and the centralized waste stations provide sinks for rinsing).
Check out the Single Use Plastics Policy to learn more about how we are reducing the amount of plastic used on campus.
Tip: Switch to reusable items to cut down on plastic waste! Explore Friendlier to learn how reusable food containers are used on campus. Bring a reusable mug for your coffee and enjoy a 10-cent discount at most outlets on campus. Use the refillable water fountains at the Fennell, Stoney Creek, and IAHS campuses to keep your reusable water bottle.
Clean Paper Recycling
Place the following items in the Clean Paper bin:
- Plain printer paper
- Newspaper & magazines
- Shipping cardboard boxes
- Snack or cracker cardboard boxes
Tip: Greasy cardboard, such as pizza boxes, pizza trays, and paper plates must go in the Organics bin, as the grease makes it non-recyclable.
Organics
Place the following items in the Organics bin:
- Food waste
- Greasy pizza boxes, trays or paper plates
- Paper straws and napkins
- Wooden utensils
- Compostable containers
Green Organics bins are available at the Fennell Campus in the C-Wing Cafeteria, MSA Food Court, and additional hallways and seating areas. At the Stoney Creek Campus Organics bins are available in the A-wing Cafeteria and hallway bins across campus.
Tip: To know if a container goes in the Organics bin, look for these symbols:
Landfill
Place the following items in the Landfill bin:
- Coffee cups and lids
- Fountain drink cups
- Plastic cutlery, straws and stir sticks
- Black plastic and styrofoam
All waste that cannot be recycled or composted goes in the Landfill bins. This includes styrofoam and black plastics.
Tip: Items such as e-waste (laptops, phones, chargers, etc.), batteries, face masks, and lightbulbs have special recycling options on campus! See below for more details on how to recycle them properly.
Friendlier Reusable Containers
Many food items at the Fennell Campus Cafeteria and MSA Food Court are served in reusable containers as part of the Friendlier initiative to reduce campus waste.
To see if your container is part of the program, check the back for a QR code. If it has one, scan it and return the container to a blue Friendlier collection box to get your deposit back. Each container is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized for reuse.
Download the Friendlier app to get started!
Waste Special Collections
Certain items such as batteries and e-waste require special collection. The categories below cannot be disposed of through regular waste streams. Please see below for a complete list of items with information on where to drop off your items and who to contact for more information.