Learn More About Recycling on Campus
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.
Remember: Clean & Dry — Please rinse food waste off before recycling any of the following:
- Aluminum or Tin (Cans, Bottles, Balled Foil)
- Hard Plastics (Bottles, Cups, Foodware)
- Glass (Bottles and Jars)
- Uncoated Paper (Magazines, Newspaper, Office Paper, Pamphlets, Phone books, Paper Bags)
- Coated Paper (Coffee Cups, Cartons)
- Flattened Cardboard
We do not recycle plastic bags. Please take your plastic bags to your local grocery store to recycle.
Learn more about ACC’s Recycling Improvement Program.
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. *ACC Business Use Only — No Personal Use.
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 Manager to direct you to the collection point or find your campus’ Styrofoam Recycling Map below. *ACC Business Use Only — No Personal Use.
Electronic Waste
Contact Campus Management to locate your building’s recycling collection point for electronics that are old or no longer function. *ACC Business Use Only — No Personal Use.
Printer Toner
Contact Campus Management to drop off used toner cartridges or send them to ACC’s Warehouse (clearly labeled) for recycling. *ACC Business Use Only — No Personal Use.
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.
Learn More About Composting on Campus
Composting is the process of turning organic waste, such as food scraps or soiled paper products, into a nutrient-rich soil amendment called “compost.” In the U.S. food is the most common waste sent to landfills, an estimated 24.1 percent of all of our garbage. Green compost bins are available in select locations throughout campus.
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 kitchens compost food waste in accordance with the City of Austin’s Universal Recycling Ordinance 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 the Eastview Campus teaches composting at a young age, providing bins for food waste and paper towels.
Cafes & Events
All cafes at ACC are going Zero Waste! Next time you order from the ACC Culinary Arts Grab & Go at the Highland Campus, or any of the ACC Cafes at the Rio Grande, Riverside, or Eastview campuses, take a closer look at your to-go materials, most are compostable and should be disposed of in the green bin when you are done.
Can’t find a compost bin? Check out the ACC Compost Maps to find the nearest location to you. If no compost is available, please dispose of the item in the landfill receptacle and not the recycling bin.
Composting Locations by Campus
Look for a food compost bin at these campus locations:
Cypress Creek Campus
Eastview Campus
Highland Campus
- Building 1000
- Break Room 2309 (Student Affairs) – employees only
- Student Life Lounge 2350 (8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri, sign-in required)
- Building 4000
- Break Room 2110.13 (Arts & Digital Media) – employees only
- Break Room 2390 (District Police) – employees only
Rio Grande Campus
- Building 1000
- Student Life Lounge 1009 (8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri, sign-in required)
- Building 3000
- Break Room 3255
- Break Room 3349
Round Rock Campus
- Building 1000
- Break Room 1204.28 (Faculty offices) – employees only
- Building 2000
- Student Life Lounge 2117 (8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri, sign-in required)
- Break Room 2330.14 [Learning Lab] – employees only
San Gabriel Campus
- Break Room 118.07 (Campus Management) – employees only
- Student Life Lounge 128 (8 a.m. -5 p.m. Mon-Fri, sign-in required)
