Services

UNCW Recycling Technicians service over 400 recycling points across campus. We run a weekly schedule with all campus buildings being serviced at least once per week with high traffic locations serviced twice weekly. Heavily used buildings, such as Fisher University Union and Fisher Student Union, are maintained daily.

UNCW Recycling does not service individual office spaces. Small deskside bins have been made available through Housekeeping. It is the responsibility of the owner to empty the small deskside bins into their local recycling station, normally in the main halls of campus buildings.

We work diligently to keep the bin areas neat and tidy. If for some reason this is not the case, and it is outside your normal scheduled day, please let us know. If you feel your building's recycling locations are too few, or not large enough, the Recycling Coordinator would be happy to talk with you regarding your building's needs.

We have rolling carts available for office moves, office clean outs, file purges, and retirement. We also offer exchange services, where we pick up full containers and drop off empty ones until the job is complete. If you are unsure of how many you will need, send a photo to Recycling and we can size the job up for you. 

Recycling is a vital piece to any UNCW event, and we have several can options to cover all your event needs. We offer optimal can selection and placement to maximize the amount of recycling captured. Please see housekeeping for trash service, and campus dining for compost service. Together, we can make every event a Gold Talon Event!

Have questions about recycling at UNCW? Confused as to what is and isn't recyclable? You are not the only one! Recycling can be confusing, but we can help. From full presentations to simple signage, we have the educational options to suit your needs. Presentations are available to the campus community and the general public. We offer virtual and in-person presentations for classes, clubs, and community groups that can be 30 minutes to an hour - based on your needs.

Tours are available for classes, labs, UNI courses, clubs, the public, and any group of 3 or more people. These tours are available to the public and to the university community. Experience a 1-hour guided tour of the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) to include the Warehouse, sort floor, and Public Recycling Depot.

Recycling is happy to stage a waste characterization for campus offices. Lasting no more than an hour, this is an excellent tool to help faculty, staff, and students understand exactly what is in their recycle cans. These types of audits also help sort out what is trash and what is recycling - helping to reduce contamination and increase the capture of recyclable commodities.

Recycling Services gladly welcomes student involvement. Whether volunteering as an individual or a group, there is always work to be done! We are also excited to collaborate on class projects or partnerships that include recycling services and our operations. Internships are available to fulfill Directed Independent Study or Capstone needs. Interns have the unique opportunity to oversee a project of their and the Recycling Coordinator's choosing to better the department. Projects and studies have many possibilities, ranging between options like optimizing logistics such as truck routes to assessing onsite environmental improvements to learning the inner workings of the recycling industry.

UNCW Recycling and UNCW Surplus partner to help minimize the volume of waste that is generated during construction and demolition projects on campus. We aim to capture and process all materials generated on campus whether through recycling markets or through the UNC Surplus System for resale to community members. This waste, which often includes recyclable and/or valuable materials, and are typically sent directly to the landfill.

Drop off for these materials, such as pallets, nylon strappings, paper packaging, cardboard, Styrofoam packaging and pallet wrap, can occur at the main warehouse, 5179 Lionfish Road, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Special arrangements can be made for pick-up on site with at least 72 hours’ notice.

• New Hanover County Recycling
• City of Wilmington, NC Recycling
• NC DEQ Recycling
• UNC University System Sustainability Policy
• NC General Statute 130A-309.14 - Solid Waste Management Act
• NC HB 1465