Hazardous Material Recycling
UWF Environmental Health and Safety administers recycling/disposal programs for certain types of spent batteries, printer toner cartridges, fluorescent light bulbs, fluorescent light fixture "ballasts" and non-working computer monitors.
Recyclable Spent Batteries
Waste Aerosol Cans
Storage and Handling Information (pdf)
Toner Cartridges
Many types of depleted printer, copier, and fax machine toner cartridges are collected from all areas of the UWF campus and stored in the Hazmat recycling building. A company specializing in refurbishing the cartridges picks them up and takes them to the rebuild facility. Hundreds of cartridges are saved from the landfill each month and the reduced price of the recycled cartridges saves the new user the difference of the cost of new cartridges. If your new printer cartridges comes with a prepaid shipping label, return the old cartridges using the prepaid shipping label. If a shipping label is not included then old cartridges should be packaged in the replacement box and sent to Building 95, ENVHS.
Fluorescent Bulbs
Burned-out fluorescent bulbs should not be thrown in the trash. Tubes of all sizes should be disposed of properly and the materials recycled by a company that uses the proper capture technology for the gases and lead. The glass and metal (aluminum) is recovered when the tubes are crushed in the processing machine and the gases are captured under negative pressure and not allowed to escape into the atmosphere. This process is expensive, however it is the only responsible disposal method currently available. Recently at UWF, several thousand old bulbs were packaged and picked up from the storage building by the processing company. The processing company also disposes of light fixture ballasts. Some of the older ballasts contain PCBs and must be processed in a retort (burned) for proper disposal. UWF personnel responsible for these items are trained in the proper storage methods.
Computer Monitors (CRTs)
Only non-working computer monitors (CRTs) are collected for disposal by UWF EH&S. Working monitors should be processed through regular surplus computer equipment methods. Old working equipment might be made available to school systems or other organizations that can make use of it. After being picked up from the UWF storage facility, "dead" monitors are stripped of plastic, wiring, and other usable materials before being crushed. The lead, glass and chemicals are recovered - not placed in landfills. Question, comments or requests for recycling can be made to: Michael Cobb, Director, ENVHS.