Waste Disposal Guide

As a reminder, always ask yourself first: can I avoid producing waste? We encourage you to challenge yourself to keep this question in mind when buying products, planning events, or going about other daily activities!

When you do have waste, we can help you place it in the correct stream. Our goal is to divert as much waste away from incineration as possible, and instead into compost or, alternatively, recycling.

Use our alphabetized links or CTRL+F (on a PC) or ⌘F (on a Mac) to search our list of items and find out how to dispose of these commonly used products. We are working to make this list as comprehensive and useful as we can. Don't see a particular item listed below? Reach out and let us know by emailing the Zero Waste Working Group at zerowaste@swarthmore.edu.

Looking for information on e-waste? View the Electronic Waste Disposal Guide to learn more about disposing ink, batteries, and electronic devices on campus.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Item	Correct disposal method
A
Aluminum foil	Recycle. Rinse or wipe off food and liquid first.
B
Baked Goods	Compost. All food scraps (including meat and dairy) are compostable.
C
Aluminum Can	Recycle. Empty and clean food and beverage can before recycling.
Cardboard	Recycle. Break down and remove tape.
Cartons	Recycle.
Chopsticks	Compost if item is wood or was provided by the College.
Coffee Filter	Compost.
Coffee Sleeve	Compost if item was provided by the College.
Coffee Stirrer	Compost if item is wood or was provided by the College
Cold Drink Cup	Compost if item was provided by the College and has GREENWARE label.
Cold Drink Cup Lid	Compost if item was provided by the College and has GREENWARE label.
Compostable Utensils	Compost. These wooden utensils, as well as the paper-based bag and napkin, are compostable.
E
Envelope	Recycle regular envelopes, even those with plastic windows.
F
Fruits and Vegetables	Compost.
G
Glass, Bottles and Jars	Recycle. Item must be unbroken, clean, and empty. Trash broken glass.
H
Hot Drink Cup	Compost if item was provided by the College and has ECOCONTAINER label.
Hot Drink Cup Lid	Compost if item was provided by the College.
M
Magazine	Recycle if made of glossy material. Compost if made of non-glossy paper.
N
Napkin	Compost if paper napkin. Trash only if used for chemicals or cleaners.
Newspaper	Recycle.
Notebook	Recycle.
P
Padded Envelope	Trash.
Paper Bag	Recycle.
Paper Clips	Recycle.
Paper Plates and Bowls	Compost if item was provided by the College. Recycle if not College-provided but made of paper. Trash if not College-provided and has waxy finish.
Paper Towel	Compost. Trash if used for chemicals or cleaners.
Pills or Medicine	Trash.
Pizza	Compost. Cheese and meat toppings are compostable.
Pizza Box	Compost, but remove wax lining in box.
Plastic Bag, Film, or Saran Wrap	Trash. Check if your grocery store recycles plastic bags, many do!
Plastic Bottle or Jug	Recycle if item is made of plastic #1, #2, or #5. Make sure it is empty and clean. Trash if item is made of plastic #3, #4, or #6.
Plastic Salad Container	Recycle if item is made of plastic #1, #2, or #5. Make sure it's empty and clean. Compost if item is #7 or PLA plastic Trash if item is #3, #4, or #6.
Plastic Takeout Container	Recycle if item is made of plastic #1, #2, #5. Trash if item is made of black plastic.
Plastic Container and/or Lid	Recycle if item is made of plastic #1, #2, #5. Make sure it is empty and clean. Trash if item is unlabeled or #3, #4,or #6.
Plastic Utensils	Trash if item is plastic and unlabeled or #3, #4 or #6.
S
Sandwich	Compost. Meat and cheese and spred fillings are okay.
Scrap Paper	Recycle.
Shredded Paper	Compost.
Snack Bar Wrapper	Trash.
Solo Cup	Trash
Staples	Trash
Paper Straws	Compost if provided by the College. Paper straws only.
Styrofoam	Trash.
Sugar, Salt, or Sweetener Packet	Compost if packet is paper.
T
Takeout Container	Compost if item is provided by the College. Recycle if item is made of paper. Trash if item is Styrofoam.
Takeout Lunch Box	Recycle if item is provided by the College.
Tea Bag	Compost. Remove staple.
Tea Bag Wrapper	Recycle if made of glossy material. Compost if made of paper.

Waste Disposal Guide

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