Specialty Recycling

While many products we use on campus can be repurposed or recycled, they cannot be placed in single-stream recycling bins. For some items, there are specialized programs in place to divert these materials from the landfill.

Note: This page is not a comprehensive list of specialty recycling options. For more information on materials not listed below, utilize the A-Z Recycling Directory.

Batteries

No matter the type, batteries should not be placed in recycling bins. Batteries are a fire hazard to recycling facilities, and have the potential to combust. Currently, any battery labeled Alkaline or “Heavy Duty”/Zinc Carbon is not considered hazardous waste and can be placed in a trash can.

Notre Dame offers specialty recycling for campus-generated batteries within these categories:

• Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Nickel-Zinc (Ni-Zn), or Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd)—these are usually rechargeable.
• Lithium or Lithium-Ion (Li-ion)
• Button Cell Batteries
• Lead-Acid Battery (Pb)—these are usually found in vehicles or scooters.

To recycle any campus-generated battery types listed above, submit an AiM Work Request and select the "recycle" tile.

If you have personal batteries you would like to recycle, consult our A-Z Recycling Directory for the most up-to-date information.

Electronic Waste

Notre Dame utilizes an electronic (e-waste) servicer for disposing of campus-generated e-waste. To ensure e-waste is properly sorted, follow these steps:

1. If your office has a designated OIT contact, connect with your assigned OIT designee and request your e-waste be picked up.
2. If your office does not have a designated OIT contact, submit an AiM work request to Surplus.
3. Surplus will pick up materials and evaluate whether they can refurbished or resold.
4. If they cannot be refurbished, Surplus sends them to Mason Services Center to be e-cycled.

Refrigerators

Refrigerators should not be sent to the landfill nor placed in single-stream recycling, as they contain freon that should be extracted before they are recycled. If you have an office fridge that is no longer being used, submit an AiM work request for Surplus to pick it up.

If you have a personally owned fridge, students, faculty, and staff can recycle their personal fridges by dropping them off at OmniSource. No appointment is needed. OmniSource responsibly removes the freon before recycling. Fridges are recycled into new steel. OmniSource will also pay you for the scrap metal!

Furniture

All university-owned office furnishings should be sent to Surplus. Submit an AiM work request for Surplus to pick up excess items in your office. For personally-owned items, consult our A-Z Recycling Directory.

K-Cup Pod Recycling

Due to programmatic funding challenges, the K-Cup Pod Recycling Program, provided by Keurig and funded by Office Depot, was discontinued as of August 2023. If your office or department would like to continue participating in this program, you may purchase K-Cycle bins from Keurig directly.

Reusable K-Cup options

When it comes to reducing waste and energy needs, reusing is always a better option than recycling. We encourage you to consider using reusable K-Cup pods. These pods can be washed and reused many times to make coffee or tea. Moreover, reusable pods can help you save money, as purchasing coffee or tea grounds alone is often cheaper than purchasing single-use K-Cup packs. Amazon offers several reusable options to choose from.

Recycling K-Cups on Campus via Single-Stream

If you choose single-use pods, the best thing you can do is recycle them. K-Cup pods can be recycled via the single-stream recycling toter system on campus. Simply remove the pod lid, empty the coffee grounds into the trash, rinse the pod, and place it into a recycling toter on campus.