Recycling

Photograph of Blaze the UT Arlington mascot dropping materials into a recycle bin

A Campus Commitment

The University of Texas at Arlington is an award-winning leader in recycling and composting. Even Blaze, UT Arlington’s Maverick mascot (left), is a part of the campus-wide commitment.


Awards

  • National Wildlife Federation: Top Twenty Colleges and Universities
  • Tarrant County Corporate Recycling Council: Environmental Vision Awards (UT Arlington Recycling program and Celebrating People and Planet Event)
  • The Recycling Alliance of Texas: Leadership Award (University-City composting program)
  • Greater DFW Recycling Alliance: Leadership Award (University-City composting program)
  • North Texas Corporate Recycling Alliance: Environmental Vision Award (University-City composting program)


Materials recycled at UT Arlington

  • Paper
  • Plastic/Aluminum
  • Printer and ink jet cartridges
  • Scrap metal
  • Oil and oil filters
  • Photo fixer
  • Fluorescent lamps and ballasts
  • Batteries (Lead Acid Batteries, Lithium Batteries, and Ni-Cad Batteries)
  • Alkaline Batteries
  • Technotrash (CDs, DVDs, Audio and Video Tapes, Diskettes)


Idea Bank


Annual Recycling Events

Photograph of John Darling standing with a pitchfork at the University's Compost Heap

  • On-going composting (see photo) and installation of recycling stations throughout campus
  • Participation in the Maverick Cookout each August
  • Annual Texas Recycles Day event in November
  • Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day and E-Waste Collection Day with the City of Arlington
  • Annual Celebrating People and Planet Event in conjunction with Earth Day
  • Annual Clean Your Files Day in conjunction with Earth Day
  • RecycleMania student recycling competition

Earth Day at UT Arlington

  • Celebrating People and Planet Festival. In conjunction with Earth Day in the University Center Mall. April.
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  • Sustainability exhibits in the Central, Architecture & Fine Arts, and Science & Engineering Library branches. April.

A History of Recycling at UT Arlington

1994
The UT Arlington Staff Advisory Council received presidential approval to institute recycling program.

1995
UT Arlington applied for and received a Public Entity Workplace Recycling Grant for $8,112 to start a paper recycling program on campus. The President’s Recycling Advisory Committee was formed. In addition to recycling paper, aluminum can recycling began on campus. Funds generated from recycling are still used today to buy additional recycling containers and help fund recycling events on campus.

2001
The University applied for and received a grant from the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) to launch a plastic bottle recycling program on campus.

2002
Recycling ink jet and printer cartridges began on campus. Additionally, UT Arlington started a recycling program in 4 residence halls. The University was recognized by National Wildlife Federation as one of the nation’s top 20 colleges and universities and one of only two UT System institutions.

2003
UT Arlington launched a pilot recycling program in 11 apartment complexes on campus. In the first four months, the program collected 10.25 tons of recyclables. Outdoor Partner Media contracted with UT Arlington to supply campus with 10 Partner recycling Bins.

2004
In the first nine months of the pilot apartment recycling program, UT Arlington collected 21 tons of recyclables and won an Environmental Vision Award presented by the Tarrant County Corporate Recycling Council. The Partner Bin project added 5 bins on campus. A small compost program was implemented and manned by a volunteer from the Arlington Conservation Council.

2005
Healthfest and Earth Day Events are combined into the Celebrating People and Planet Event. Tarrant County Corporate Recycling Council awarded UT Arlington with an Environmental Vision Award for the Celebrating People and Planet Event. UT Arlington began collecting pre-consumer food waste and landscape debris to expand compost site.

2006
A full-time Recycling Coordinator was hired. Technotrash program was implemented. Tarrant County Corporate Recycling Council awarded UT Arlington another Environmental Vision Award for this program. Partnering with the City of Arlington, UT Arlington applied for and received a grant from the North Central Texas Council of Governments to expand and mechanize the compost program.

2007
The compost program was expanded to include an in-vessel rotary compost unit and a Bobcat Skid Loader. The implementation of an alkaline battery recycling program recycled 68 lbs. of batteries in its first 2 months. The compost program was recognized with three awards: The Recycling Alliance of Texas awarded UT Arlington and the City of Arlington with a Leadership Award, the Greater DFW Recycling Alliance awarded UT Arlington and the City of Arlington with their Leadership Award, and the North Texas Corporate Recycling Alliance awarded UT Arlington and the City of Arlington with their Environmental Vision Award. The President’s Sustainability Committee is formed and combines with the President’s Recycling Advisory Committee.

2008
UT Arlington participated in nationwide program, RecycleMania. The recycling program begins standardizing recycling containers in buildings across campus to capture paper, plastic/aluminum, and trash.


Contact Information

UT Arlington Recycling Program
Department of Environmental Health and Safety