Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
OSU Recycling
Fun Facts
True or False
Acceptable or Unacceptable
100

How much plastic waste actually gets recycled each year?

Only 10%

100

What color are the recycling bins in OSU Marion classrooms?

Green

100

How many times can a card board box be recycled?

what is 7 times

100

Must items, that are intended to be recycled, be clean?

True
100

Extra greasy pizza boxes

Unacceptable- they can be recycled if they are unsoiled!

200
How much of the intended recycled plastics go to land fills?

Approximately 78%

200

What type of materials do the RED recycling bins accept at OSU Medical Wexner Center?

cardboard, paper cups, glass, aluminum, and bottle-shaped plastics.

200

Smart ways to recycle your ceramic and glass drink/food ware.

Donating them to Goodwill or passing them onto a friend because they can not actually be recycled
200

Napkins and paper towels can be recycled.

False- they may be composted.

200

Single-use styrofoam containers are appropriate for recycling.

unacceptable 

300

How can we start to fix local recycling problems like on the OSU Marion campus?

Recycling Education

300

What is "single-stream" recycling?

All Recyclables are placed in the same bin versus separating them.

300

Where is the best place to recycle your plastic grocery bags?

Your local grocery store because plastic bags cause delays in the recycling equipment.

300

Greasy containers, like the ones from Panda Express, should be recycled.

False- they are contaminated and require cleaning prior to recycling.

300

Junk mail

Acceptable- We suggest shredding it to protect your identity.

400

What percent of our plastic waste- globally- gets incinerated?

12%

400

OSU's ambitious goals around zero waste by 2025 will be greatly impacted by what action?

Educating students, faculty, and staff by offering enough opportunities to recycle around campus.

400

What plastics cannot be recycled?

what are plastics #3-#7

400

Ink cartridges are entirely recycleable 

True! This is categorized as a specialty recycling item and needs to be scheduled through Central Receiving.

400

Lithium Ion batteries

Acceptable- You should collect them in a five-gallon bucket and then call Environmental Health and Safety services to appropriately/safely dispose of them.

500

How is recycling a socio-ecological problem?

It is ecological because it affects our Earth's health and general well-being. It is social because humans are the ones taking from the earth and not using appropriate recycling procedures.
500

What does OSU plan on achieving by 2025 in terms of their "ambitious goals"?

Achieve zero waste by 2025 by diverting 90% or waste away from landfills

500

How much energy does recycling one glass bottle save? 

what is enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours.

500

Aerosol Hairspray cans should have a puncture or hole stabbed through it before recycling.

True- they must be depressurized but cannot contain HAZMAT-like paints.

500

Non-heat resistant Laboratory glassware

Acceptable if it is triple rinsed.