What goes in your blue recycling cart or dumpster?

Don't be guilty of wish-cycling! Wish-cycling is the practice of tossing questionable items in the recycling bin hoping they can somehow be recycled.  This contamination can cause low material prices.  What is considered contamination?  Items like garden hoses, extension cords, plastic bags, Styrofoam, paper cups, and plastic utensils – these are all items that reduce the value of recyclables.
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Keep non-recyclable items, like those shown below, OUT of your cart:

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NOT SURE IF YOU CAN RECYCLE AN ITEM?  

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS ON WHAT IS AND IS NOT RECYCLABLE IN YOUR BLUE RECYCLING CART OR DUMPSTER.  

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Recycling Drop-Off Center:

A 24-hour Recycling Drop-Off Center is located at the north rear parking lot of the Heman Park Community Center (975 Pennsylvania). The drop-off center is available every day and accepts the items listed above, as well as textiles (clothes, shoes, towels, linens, rags, curtains, table cloths, and small rugs). The drop-off center NO LONGER accepts plastic "film" for recycling (i.e. plastic grocery bags, dry cleaning bags,  bread bags, plastic overlay (from paper towels, toilet paper, etc.), newspaper bags, bubble wrap, etc.). Please take this material to Schnucks, 6920 Olive Boulevard.  For alternate locations, visit: https://www.plasticfilmrecycling.org/.

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Recycling at City Hall and Centennial Commons:

Light bulbs

Recycle your old Bulbs at University City Hall on the 3rd Floor or Centennial Commons Lobby! Broken CFL bulbs can be accepted if they are in a Ziploc-style plastic bag. NO FLUORESCENT TUBES ACCEPTED. Bulbs can be dropped off at City Hall during normal business hours Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. into the designated container in the Public Works Department, (314-505-8560). A container is also located at Centennial Commons, 7210 Olive Blvd during hours of operation; M-F: 5:30 am - 10:00 pm, Sat.: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, Sun.: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm.

Batteries, Small Electronics and small E-Scrap items

Recycle your Batteries, Small Electronics and E-Scrap at City Hall – 3rd Floor or Centennial Commons Lobby!  A variety of items are accepted: Examples of batteries include AA, AAA, D-cell, C-cell, 9-volt, button cells, small-cylinder and custom sizes, batteries from wheel chairs, scooters, golf carts, ride-on electric toys, boats, RVs, military aircraft, portable tools and instruments, watches, cameras, handheld electronics, tire-pressure sensors, alarms, memory backup, high-temperature applications, pacemakers, remote car locks, cell phones, laptop computers, power tools, video cameras, handheld electronics, toys, R/C hobby vehicles, medical equipment. Examples of small electronics and E-scrap include circuit boards, cell phones, 2-Way Radios, Pagers, Power Tools, Calculators, Portable Electronics, Ink-Jet Cartridges, Toner Cartridges.

Questions? Call 314-505-8560 for more information.

Recycling Other Items 

Additional Bulb, ballast and fluorescent tube Recycling: 

Batteries+Bulbs® accepts a variety of light bulbs for recycling. Their bulb recycling program includes compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), fluorescent tubes, circular fluorescent, u bend fluorescent, UV and germicidal lamps, halogen, incandescent, ballasts, mercury vapor, high pressure sodium and metal halide. Fees may apply. Please contact your local store for details. Local store locations in Webster Groves (314-962-2237), Creve Coeur (314-392-9939), Florissant (314-838-2277), St. Louis City (314-416-9555).

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Hazardous Chemicals and materials: 

Many common products are hazardous because they contain chemicals that are toxic, corrosive, flammable or reactive. Improper disposal (pouring down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or in some cases putting them out with the trash) can harm the environment and a pose a threat to human health. First and foremost, you should try to reduce the amount of unused, unwanted, or leftover household chemicals you create. With a little planning it is easy to avoid creating Household Hazardous Waste!

• Choose safer alternatives.
  Product labels have signal words to help you identify the hazard levels of the product. Choose the safest alternative to do the job at hand! Avoid these signal words:
  Toxic or poison: Highly poisonous or toxic
  Danger: Extremely flammable, corrosive or highly toxic
  Warning: Moderately toxic or product has fewer hazards
  Caution: Slightly toxic or product has minimal hazards
• Buy only as much of a product as needed and use products up entirely.
  The large economy size is not a bargain if at the end of the job you have product you can't use.
• Store products properly.
  Follow label direction for safe storage to maintain products in useable condition.
  • Store products out of reach of children and pets.
  • Store products in cool, dry areas with adequate ventilation.
  • Keep products in their original containers with readable labels.
  • Do not reuse containers for other purposes.
  • Close lids tightly so that products will not dry out, evaporate or leak.
  • Store away from sources of heat, spark or flame.
• Share or swap leftovers with others who can use them
  Neighbors, friends and relatives may be able to use the product up, eliminating the need to handle it as HHW.
• Make a reservation with St. Louis Household Hazardous Waste
  Not all household hazardous product leftovers can be shared or recycled. If the label indicates the product should be disposed of through a community collection program, St. Louis Household Hazardous waste is the option for residents of St. Louis City, Saint Louis County and Jefferson County. Through this program up to 85% of the material collected will be recycled or recovered as waste to energy. The remainder is managed like regulated hazardous waste and in accordance with applicable regulations.

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History of Recycling in University City:

In 1974, University City became one of the first municipalities in the country to offer curbside recycling to its residents. Newspapers were collected in recycling bins. Since then, the program has continued to expand into a single stream recycling program. Today, the city provides recycling to all households, public buildings, as well as numerous businesses. University City also has an outdoor Recycling Drop-off Center and a fleet of recycling vehicles to provide curbside and alley pickups of recyclables to all residents and businesses who subscribe to our service.
 
 
 There are so many benefits to recycling. Just a few... 

• Recycling conserves natural resources for the future. If we all start reducing the amount of materials we throw away and recycle more now, we will preserve more natural environments for future generations.
• Recycling prevents the emissions of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants by reducing the amount of energy used at production plants. Recycling recovered materials, such as newspaper, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans save more energy than from virgin materials used to produce new products.
• Recycling creates various jobs for producing new products and creating new technologies. Recycling in the United States is a $236 billion per year industry. More than 56,000 recycling and reuse businesses employ more than 1 million workers nationwide.
• Recycling reduces the need for incinerators and landfills. Recycling diverts millions of tons of material away from landfills and incinerators.
• The more people recycling the cheaper it will get.
• Each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, and 7,000 gallons of water.
• The energy we save when we recycle one glass bottle is enough to light a light bulb for 4 hours.
• People and the environment benefit from less pollution being exerted into the atmosphere. Natural habitats are allowed to thrive without much threat due to recycling efforts.
• Recycling conserves natural resources, such as timber, water and minerals.
• A used aluminum can may be recycled and back on the grocery store shelf as a new can in as little as 60 days.
• Every bit of recycling makes a difference...please do your part!
  Sources: National Recycling Coalition (NCR), United States Environmental Protection Agency, and Earth911.