Recycling and Waste Reduction
- Buy recycled paper for printing
- Look for materials that include recycled content
- Avoid bottled water in the office and at events
- Use refillable water bottles whenever possible (water bottle refill stations located in interior buildings)
In 2021, BSU recycled:
- c. 179 tons of glass, metal, plastic containers (collected together)
- c. 380 lbs of fluorescent light tubes
- c. 34.5 tons of corrugated cardboard
- c. 8+ tons of white paper with Georgetown Paper
- c. 14.7 tons of paper for Shred Day events
BSU Recycles! Bowie State University is committed to minimizing the waste produced by the campus community that ends up in our landfills, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and our overall carbon footprint.
Our Facilities Management Department, working along with our janitorial contractor ABM, manages waste and strives to make our campus and community cleaner, healthier and more environmentally sustainable.
The most important way for reducing waste is not creating waste to begin with. However, the 3Rs concept is a concept which should be a way of living for all of us on and off campus:
- Reduce. Conserve resources by purchasing, using, and wasting less.
- Re-Use. Choose reusable options as often as possible (such as water bottles, multi-use shopping bags, coffee cups, metal straws) instead of one use disposable items.
- Recycle. Sort your recycling: learn what can be recycled here at BSU and in our communities. See below.
What BSU Recycles
All recyclables including paper, cans, glass, plastics, and bottles can be recycled in one container called mixed or co-mingled Recycling. This process reflects recycling programs in our region. Facilities Management places and maintains the Recycling containers on campus. If you spot a Recycling container that needs to be emptied, please report it to Facilities Management at 301-860-3471.
Keep in mind that any recyclable item should not contain liquid, food waste or residue, or grease.
Paper
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Colored regular paper
- Catalogues
- Notepads
- Sticky notes
- Junk mail
- Other paper items that are not trash
Find out more about our annual campus-wide paper shredding event. - Posterboard
Cardboard
- Boxes (does NOT include pizza boxes)
- Other cardboard pieces/items
Glass
- Bottles
- Jars
Plastic
- Bottles
- Clamshell containers (clean only)
We also recycle:
- Ink cartridges (from offices only)
- Light bulbs (office style fluorescent light tubes)
- Rubber tires (for BSU maintenance vehicles only)
- Yard waste
- Textbooks - see below
BSU does NOT recycle
- styrofoam material
- plastic bags - Find out where you can recycle plastic bags
- yogurt/margarine tubs
- aluminum foil
- pizza boxes
Campus Recycling Bins
| What You Can Recycle | Location of Recycling Bin |
| Office paper (see all items under Paper above, except catalogues) |  Most office lobby areas |
| Office paper (see all items under Paper above, except catalogues) |  Office spaces |
| Bottles, cans and clean plastic containers |  Hallways of academic & administrative buildings |
| Papers, bottles and cans |  Student Center ONLY (main lobby) |
| Mixed paper, bottles and cans |  Center for Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Nursing ONLY |
| Glass ONLY |  Center for Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Nursing ONLY (some laboratories) |
| Paper, bottles, cans and clean plastic containers |  Center for Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Nursing ONLY |
| Paper, bottles, cans and clean plastic containers |
|
| Bottles, cans and clean plastic containers |
- Student Center walkway |
| Bottles and cans and clean plastic containers |  Lobby areas of academic buildings |
| Plastic, cans, waste |  Health and Wellness Center, CMRC |
Center for Graduate and Business Studies hallways
Solar Trash CompactorAuxiliary & Residential services
Our trayless Dining Hall utilizes reusable utensils and paper straws which significantly cut down on wasteful plastic that ends up in our landfills and waterways. See the environmental policies of our dining services vendor.
The BSU Bookstore has a rental program (students can rent a semester at a time) which keeps textbooks circulating several times over and reduces the need to print more. Additionally, rather than wasting or trashing used books, the Bookstore buys back books and sends them to another Follett store, or if they cannot be used, they are doanted to Better World Books.
The recycling efforts in the Residence Halls are undergoing an ongoing assessment for improvement. Residents, please contact your RD for suggestions.
Other Initiatives
Recycling Textbooks
BSU Bookstore & recently purchased books
Follett Higher Education Group has a rental program that allows students to rent out textbooks at a semester at a time. Follett also buys books back daily.
Rather than textbooks being wasted or trashed, these programs keep textbooks circulating several times over & reduces the need to print more which limits their carbon footprint on the environment.
Non-BSU Bookstore and books older than 3 years
Please contact Better World Books. You can email clientservices@betterworldbooks.com or call 888-510-7103 (x5310). You can also recycle paperback books through paper recycling because they are made of 100% paper. Hardcover books cannot be put in recycling bins (unless the binding has been removed).
Our Recycling Sponsors
- ABM. Please contact Facilities
- Georgetown Paper (white paper & cardboard). Please contact Facilities
- Gellar Lighting (light bulbs). Please contact Facilities
- A Better Way Computer Recycling (electronic equipment and printer cartridges). Please contact Sal Martinez
- Firestone (rubber tires)
- Shredding Company (our paper shredding event). Please contact Jabari Walker
- Republic Waste Management