Frequently Asked Questions
About Recycling & Waste Got questions? We've got answers. Check this list to see if your question has already been answered. If not, use the form below to ask!
Frequently Asked Questions about Recycling & Waste The SCU community can e-mail recycling@scu.edu their questions about recycling on campus. This blog will provide answers to those questions
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 Does extra butter and the butter wrapper go in the trash or in compost?
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009
The extra butter goes into the compost.
If the butter wrapper can tear easily (like paper), go ahead and throw it in the compost.
If it doesn't tear (or if it's made from foil), please put it in "landfill waste". If it looks like paper but doesn't tear easily, it's been plasticized and shouldn't be composted.
Also, check out this article about re-using butter wrappers for baking!
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What do I do with my yogurt container?
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009
The yogurt container and the foil (or plastic) lid can be recycled. Look for any recycling container on campus.
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I live in Sunnyvale and have a lot of old papers lying around; do I have to recycle it separately from my newspapers?
Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009
Mixed paper can be recycled along with newspaper. Learn more about Sunnyvale's curbside recycling here!
Learn more about Santa Clara's curbside recycling here!
The answer is no; you do not have to separate out your regular paper from your newspaper recyclables. In fact, there are many "mixed paper" items you can put in the paper section of your household curbside recycling bin. Examples include phone books, white, colored, or glossy paper, junk mail and envelopes, catalogs and magazines, manila folders, shoe boxes, paper bags, and even post-its. So all those old hand-outs and extra papers from last quarter can be kicked to the curb, literally!
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Can I recycle the compostable containers that hold the fruit and salads in Benson? Or should I just throw it in the trash?
Thursday, May. 28, 2009
UPDATE: You can now compost these containers! Look for the bright green compost collection containers in Benson!
Please don't recycle these containers! When bioplastics end up in recycling processors, they cause expensive problems for recycling facilities, so it is better to throw containers in the compost. If you can't compost, please put them in the trash.
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How are electronic companies trying to make computers more eco-friendly? What are the environmental benefits of reusing and recycling e-waste? What are the potential environmental impacts if we do not recycle e-waste?
Thursday, May. 28, 2009
E-waste is a huge environmental problem we are facing today. Many companies are working on reducing the environmental impact of their electronics because most electronics are difficult to recycle, contain a number of hazardous materials, consume a huge amount of energy, and create a lot of waste through the process of production. Apple has just developed a new laptop that is highly recyclable, uses less energy, contains less toxic materials such as arsenic and mercury, and has reduced packaging. Also, because the battery lasts longer, there will be less battery waste. As of recently, a new standard of measurement (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) has been created to rate the environmental impact of desktop computers, notebook computers, and monitors. The Dell Latitude D630, with Intel Centrino processor technology, is the first laptop system that met the gold status with EPEAT. One of the best ways to make a computer or electronic device more eco-friendly is lengthening the lifetime and durability, so they don't need to be replaced as often.
There is an overwhelming amount of health and environmental problems associated with the life cycle of e-waste, from the production to disposal. Not only is a vast amount of e-waste disposed in landfills, but e-waste results in massive amounts of wastewater and other hazardous wastes. Estimates suggest that 50%-80% of e-waste is shipped to impoverished, rural areas in Asia. Villages, rivers, and groundwater supplies become poisoned with this waste. Unprotected laborers are paid miniscule amounts to dismantle the computers, wihch releases incredibly toxic fumes that damage their health and the surrounding environment.
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