About
History
New York University’s commitment to waste minimization may be traced back through several decades. New York City passed the first of its many recycling laws in 1989, and in 1990, Village Green Recycling Center coordinator Carl Hultberg first developed NYU’s Recycling Program. NYU’s recycling rates doubled several times throughout the decade and created a model for institutionalized recycling in New York City, as well as setting the course that helped many other sustainability ideas to flourish on campus. In fact, Recycling Services was the first administrative office at NYU to propose the launch of an institution-wide sustainability initiative.
By 2009, NYU introduced a Mixed Recycling system, accepting all plastics,
glass, metals, and paper in one bin that helped raise diversion levels to 30 percent, a level twice
as high as the diversion rate of the rest of NYC.
In 2010, NYU took waste minimization to the next level by introducing several new composting initiatives. Current projects include composting in both the front and back of dining halls, the Wagner and Law Schools, a student-run compost tumbler in Carlyle Court, and bins and composting services available for special events, with efforts continuing to improve every year. Through these and countless other initiatives, NYU advances toward its sustainability goals.
Operations Division
The Recycling Shop is now located within the Operations Division, which is responsible for end-to-end delivery of all building construction, operations, and maintenance services. By institutionalizing the recycling program into Operations, we ensure minimizing our waste stream remains a top priority for the university. Explore our website to learn more about the programs we offer, and please feel free to contact with any unanswered questions.
Recycling Resources
- Recycling Cheat Sheet (pdf)
- Waste Characterization Study, 2011 (xls)
- Waste Characterization Study, 2008 (pdf)
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