http://www.tufts.edu/tuftsrecycles

Tufts University School of Dental Medicine is taking the lead within the university as the first school to pilot the ‘Mixed Recycling’ method. Students, faculty, staff and patients at the dental school can now place all recyclable items into just one bin -no more separating cans, paper and plastic! We hope this new, simpler method of recycling will increase participation by the Tufts dental community and reduce the amount of trash we produce each day.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mixed Recycling:

Q: What is mixed recycling?
A: Mixed recycling is a different system of recycling where instead of separating the paper products from the commingled containers; they all get placed in one bin and collected together.

Q: Where is the mixed recycling system being implemented?
A: The dental school is the pilot school for the new program. The mixed recycling system will be available only in the dental school.

Q: Why are we changing the system?
A: The new program is easier for you, the individual recycler. Tufts Recycles! hopes that the increased convenience will lead to increased recycling efforts by the Tufts Dental community.

Q: When is the change taking place?
A: Earth Day, April 22, 2009

Q: What do I have to do?
A: Place all of your recyclable materials in the new recycling bin–it’s that simple!

Q: What can I recycle in these bins?
A: You can recycle everything you could recycle before:

• White and colored paper
• Newspaper
• Cardboard and the tops of pizza boxes
• Paperboard (like cereal boxes)
• Magazines & Glossy Paper
• Hard & Soft Covered Books
• Notebooks
• Folders
• Plastics #1-7
• Cans (aluminum, steel, tin)
• Juice & Milk Cartons
• Empty bottles (glass and plastic)
• Aluminum Foil and Trays
• Empty Toner Bottles
• Empty Aerosol Cans

Q: What cannot be recycled in these bins?
A: Anything that does not fall under the categories above should not go into the bins.

This includes:

• Coffee cups – this is a big problem that contaminates the bins.
• Bottle caps
• Tissues, napkins, paper towels
• Paper plates, paper cups
• Plastic bags or film
• Very dirty containers
• Foam containers
• Plastic utensils

Q: Doesn’t mixing the items make them harder to recycle?
A: The items are just separated later in the recycling process, so they are still just as recyclable as before. However, the convenience and simplicity of this system causes fewer items to be thrown away, which increases the total amount of waste that is recycled.