Compost & Recycling

Recycling

Recycling can divert more than 60 million tons of waste away from U.S. landfills every year — an estimated  32 percent of all of our garbage. Do your part by dropping recyclable items in the blue bins on campus.

Learn more about ACC’s Recycling Improvement Program.

Please rinse food waste off before recycling any of the following:

  • Aluminum, steel, tin cans, and foil
  • Plastic utensils, foodware, straws, cups, bottles, and caps
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Paper cups, carton, and bags
  • Phone books, magazines, newspaper, office paper, and pamphlets
  • Flattened cardboard boxes

We do not recycle plastic bags.  Please take your plastic bags to your local grocery store to recycle.

How do I recycle…

Markers & Pens

ACC collects used markers, pens, and pencils for recycling. Drop them in a Marker Recycling Container at each ACC campus.

ACC launched marker and pen recycling at Highland Campus in 2018 and expanded the effort across the district during Earth Week 2019. Each ACC Campus offers one Marker & Pen Recycling collection container per building. Ask your Campus Manager where to find your nearest collection container.

Styrofoam

Styrofoam packing cube recycling is available at all campuses in Styrofoam Collection Bags. Please DO NOT put packing peanuts, food containers, plastic bags, or spongy foam (LDPE #4) in the mesh collection bags. Ask your campus administration to direct you to the collection point or find your campus’ Styrofoam Recycling Map below.

Electronic Waste

Contact campus management to locate your building’s recycling collection point for electronics that are old or no longer function.

Printer Toner

Contact campus management to drop off used toner cartridges or send them to ACC’s Warehouse (clearly labeled) for recycling.

Fabric

ACC’s Fashion Incubator saves fabric scraps for recycling. Scraps are sorted and sent to a third party for recycling and reuse as wiping rags.

Restroom Paper Towels

ACC has implemented paper towel composting in restrooms across the district. Please put paper towels only in the marked bins, and NO food waste, recycling, or landfill waste.

Food Composting 

ACC is phasing in food composting in some locations across the district. ACC’s cafe kitchens compost food waste in accordance with the City of Austin’s Universal Recycling Ordinance and to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.

ACC’s Culinary Arts Department diverts all compostable waste (inedible food from preparation and unfinished dishes) to compost bins within their kitchens. 

The Children’s Lab School at Eastview Campus teaches composting at a young age, providing bins for food waste and paper towels.

Food Composting Locations by Campus

Look for a food compost bin at these campus locations:

Cypress Creek Campus

Eastview Campus

Highland Campus

Rio Grande Campus

Round Rock Campus

San Gabriel Campus

Service Center

South Austin Campus

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