uOttawa Recyclopedia

Cardboard boxes that are folded and left in the hallway will be picked up by the Housekeeping staff regularly.

If you need boxes, contact the Call Centre (613-562-5800 x 5000); the attendant will tell you where to find cardboard recycling containers; you can then help yourself to what you need. 

Pizza boxes go in the compost.

Compostable materials:

• All food scraps (fruits and vegetables, snack foods, nuts and shells, eggs and egg shells, breads, cereals, pasta and beans, meat and fish – including bones, salad dressing and sauces); All compostable containers (Chartwells); Coffee grounds and tea bags and disposable paper coffee cups.
• Pizza boxes can also be recycled. If they are too large to fit into the recycling centre, simply leave it on top of the counter and our cleaning staff will take care of it.

Non Compostable materials:

• All non-compostable materials and plastic wrappers of any kind.

Recyclable materials:

All forms of paper, box board (cereal boxes), construction paper, file folders, egg cartons, magazines etc.

Non-recyclable materials:

All forms of contaminated papers such as coffee cups, and liquids of any kind, milk cartons and tetra paks.

Recyclable Materials:

• Plastic: Plastic bottles, jars, milk cartons and tetra paks, jugs and tubs with lids  (ex: yogurt, sour cream, hand cleaner, margarine containers, etc.), #1, 2, and 5
• Metal: All metal and aluminum containers (ex: pop cans, tuna cans, aluminum foil, etc.).
• Glass: Glass containers both clear and coloured.

Non-recyclable Materials:

• Plastic: Plastic wrappers of all kinds, Saran wrap, wax paper, straws, plastic disposable utensils, coffee cup lids (#6), Styrofoam that has come into contact with food.
• Metal: Hangers, chip bags and chocolate bar wrappers (materials made out of both plastic and metal are not recyclable).
• Glass: Broken glass, drinking glasses, as well as ceramic and crystal.

Your old books can also be recycled. Simply call 562-5800, extension 5000 to have them picked up.
Please note we can only do pickups on campus, so if you live off-campus, you'll have to bring your books here.

Textbooks for Change
Textbooks for Change is a social enterprise that collects textbooks and sends them to Africa or uses them to support student clubs. And now, Textbooks for Change is at uOttawa so consider donating you old textbooks and course packs.

• University Centre - ground floor near the Student Union Office
• Lamoureux - Second floor across from the elevators
• Colonel By - Basement near the student lounge

Free Store
You can drop off your unwanted books at the Free Store donation bin.

Most main buildings have a cardboard battery recycling box in a main lobby or common area, on top of a recycling station. This includes the following buildings:

• ARC (level 1 lobby)
• BSC (level 1)
• Careg (level 1 lobby)
• CBY (level 0) 
• CRX (level 1 lobby)
• DMS (level 1)
• FSS (level 1 study area)
• FTX (main lobby) 
• LRR (100 Laurier, level 0)
• MNT (level 3)
• MRT (level 1)
• PRZ (level 3)
• RGN (level 1 main hallway and near room 1137)
• RGN (level 2 near room 2009)
• SITE (level 0)
• SSC (Minto, level 1 north entrance)
• STEM (level 0 across from Science Store)
• STEM (level 1)
• TBT (level 1)
• UCU (Student Lounge level 0)
• UCU (level 2) 
• VNR (level 1)
• 200 Lees (level 1 between Block A & E)

You can put single-use batteries right in the box. However, you must put rechargeable batteries in bags (one battery per bag) or wrap them individually, due to fire risk in transportation. Plastic bags are attached to the box for this.

All brown paper towels are compostable in washrooms equipped with a recycling bin for paper towels.

If you would like to see a bin placed in a washroom near you, please contact us to put in your request.

You can recycle all brands of any type of writing instrument—pens, markers, highlighters, mechanical pencils, pencils, etc.— at one of three campus collection points: 

• LPR 141 (Protection building) lobby 
• RGN second floor lobby 
• Morisset Library recycling stations (which have containers to collect them) 

The University of Ottawa uses TerraCycle boxes to help recycle some materials that are difficult to find solutions for. On campus this includes;

• Pens and writing tools
• Cigarette butts
• Personal protective equipment

Recyclable materials:

• All products composed mostly with electronic components - computers, laptops, cellphones, monitors, watches, cameras, etc.
• CDs, LED light bulbs, compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Employees only - If you must dispose of one or more computers please notify the IT support contact in your department to have the computer(s) picked up for recycling.
Smaller electronic waste can be left on top of recycling centres all across campus.

Non recyclable materials:

• Products that contain hazardous chemicals along with electronic components - ballasts, car batteries, smoke detectors, etc.
• Large appliances - stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, etc.

Useful office supplies or household goods can be sent to the uOttawa Free Store located at 100 Thomas More, room 102. There is a donation box located inside the Learning Crossroads (CRX) underneath the stairs on the first floor.

If the surplus furniture you have is part of a construction / renovation project, please make the removal request though your project manager.

If the surplus furniture is not part of a construction / renovation project, please make the removal request through your building manager.

If you have confidential documents you would like shredded, contact the Call Centre (613-562-5800 x 5000) to have a container delivered; this will save you from having to look for or buy boxes. Your documents will be placed in a safe location. If you like, you can witness the shredding of the documents yourself.

We do not accept CDs and memory sticks in the bins. Please recycle these items with electronic waste.

If you must dispose of any Construction/Demolition materials including but not limited to wood, scrap metals, cement and dry wall simply contact the Call Centre (613-562-5800 x 5000); they will send someone to collect it for recycling.

If you must dispose of a refrigerator, simply contact the Call Centre (613-562-5800 x 5000); they will send someone to pick it up for recycling.

Ottawa residents: please visit the city of Ottawa’s website for more information on how to recycle your refrigerators.

If you have wooden pallets to recycle, please bring them to the nearest loading dock. Or contact the Call Centre (613-562-5800 x 5000) to make a service request.