Recycling @ Upstate
 Currently there are many great recycling initiatives taking place at Upstate related to recycling and reducing waste.
What’s Happening Now?
Each year Upstate submits a recycling and waste report to the state including what and how much was recycled during the year, along with any new recycling initiatives adopted.
In the most recent report (April 1, 2007 – March 31, 2008) the combined totals were:
- 1,385 tons of waste disposed
- 462.98 tons of material recycled
- 17,100 gallons of glass, cans & plastic recycled
While these numbers are impressive, the individual efforts that went into achieving these goals are numerous. A few of the efforts taking place at Upstate include:
Recycling
- Used computers, monitors, & electronic equipment
- Plastic, glass, aluminum, & paper
- Construction & demolition debris
- Tires
- Batteries
- Motor oil
- Organic materials, such as leaves, wood chips, & grass clippings
Promoting
- Recyclable Sharps programs
- Double sided printing & copying
- Use of neutral cleaners & chemical dilution systems
- Separation of medical waste from solid waste
- A mop system that reduces fresh water use by 400 gallons/day
- Use of wash rags and squeegees for cleaning instead of paper towels
Buying
- Recycled floor mats
- Floor care machines that use less water & chemicals
- Seeking out contracts for cheaper materials and services, such as purchasing bathroom products from the NY State Deaf/Blind program
Planning & Research
- Creating campus wide sustainability groups & recycling awareness campaigns
- Reviewing new products to recycle, such as disposable curtains & sterile wrap
- Developing a mercury reduction program that seeks to replace mercury thermometers & pressure cuffs with less hazardous, digital & alcohol thermometers
- Reviewing light systems & fluorescent bulb recycling programs
- Investigating a collaborative recycling partnership with the Upstate Foundation & Wal-Mart to collect used cell phones and printer cartridges, with proceeds that benefit Upstate
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