Clean + Go Green - December 1 to 2, 2022

November 15, 2022
Someone recycling at Clean and Go Green on the Manhattanville Campus

There’s no better time than the present to...clean! Cleaning your office or living space creates more space and can also help the environment. Columbia University Facilities and Operations and our partners across campus want to help. As part of our award-winning “Clean + Go Green” program, we will make large bins available across the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses at no cost to you for the recycling, reuse or proper disposal of large, unwanted items. Best of all, Facilities and Operations will separate and recycle your items. That way, when you clean, you “go green.”   

WHEN?

Thursday, December 1, 2022 and Friday, December 2, 2022 - Rain or Shine!

  • Drop-off hours are between 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. only. During this time, Facilities and Operations staff will be on hand to help with unloading and recycling.
  • Add this event to your calendar

WHERE?

Reuse/Donation Drop-off Location: 

  • White tent on Low Plaza.

Recycling Drop-off Locations: 

  • Fairchild Courtyard
  • Walkway between Lerner Hall and Butler Library
  • The Grove at 119th Street and Amsterdam Avenue 
  • Manhattanville – The Plaza in front of the Lenfest Center for the Arts

Paper Shredding Locations:

  • College Walk near Kent Hall (shredding truck)
  • Manhattanville – The Plaza in front of the Lenfest Center for the Arts (secure shredding bins)

NOTE: No cars are allowed on campus. The closest electronics recycling accessible by car is via the Lerner Gate on Broadway at 115th Street (carrying items into campus) or 129th Street in front of the Plaza. 

WHAT?

Items you can bring to a Clean + Go Green drop-off location include:

Reuse/Donation (Low Plaza only) – Bring your donation items early to increase the chance that they will find a new home!

  • Clothing
  • Textiles and Linens
  • Non-perishable Food
  • Books/Used Books
  • New or Gently Used Coats, Boots and Shoes
  • Hats and Gloves
  • Unused Toiletries – toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, shampoo and deodorant
  • Dishwashing Liquid
  • Hand Towels

Cathedral Community Cares (CCC), a Columbia Community Service grantee, will benefit from your donations and has expressed a great need for the following items: new or gently used coats, boots, shoes, hats, and gloves, as well as unused toiletries, dishwashing liquid, and hand towels.

Recycling:

  • Furniture (not available at Manhattanville/The Plaza location)
  • Computer Monitors, Keyboards and CPUs (please clean your hard drive)
  • Paper/Cardboard
  • Batteries
  • Electronic Equipment
  • Bulbs, including compact fluorescents
  • Toner Cartridges
  • Paint Cans

Items you CANNOT bring to a Clean + Go Green drop-off location:

  • Chemicals
  • Laboratory equipment
  • Laboratory refrigerators
  • Laboratory furniture that has potentially come into contact with chemical, biological or radioactive material
  • Metal bricks or any material previously used as shielding
  • Compressed gas cylinders
  • Used oil
  • Mercury containing devices (e.g., thermometers, switches, thermostats)
  • Smoke detectors

Contact Environmental Health and Safety for removal or clearance to remove items on this list.

FREE SHREDDING!

Bring items to be shredded to the Paper Shredding Locations on College Walk near Kent Hall and the Plaza in Manhattanville each day of the event from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. As a reminder, before disposing of University records, please refer to the Records Retention and Disposal policies that can be found in the University Policies Library. If you have any questions about these policies, please contact [email protected] and check out this guide on how to prepare for the Shredding Event.

NEED HELP MOVING YOUR STUFF?

For a fee, movers will come directly to your office to collect and recycle your unwanted items (available for offices at the Morningside campus only). Contact the Columbia University Facilities Services Center at 212-854-2222 by end of business on Monday, November 28 and mention "Clean + Go Green" to request service.

DONATE YOUR USED BOOKS!

Don't throw your used books away—donate them instead! Bring your used books to the tent at Low Plaza where they could be used by your fellow Columbians.

FIND SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR COLUMBIA'S ARCHIVES?

Help preserve the institutional memory of the University. Please reach out to the University Archives at [email protected] so staff can assess what you have for possible long-term preservation.

VOLUNTEER AT THE DONATION TENT

Join us on Low Plaza and volunteer an hour of your time accepting donations. Contact Janice Erskine of the Office of Sustainability at [email protected] to sign up for a time slot. Refreshments will be served.

You can help ensure that this year's "Clean + Go Green" program is a success—please spread the word! Should you have any questions about this event or need other facilities-related information, please contact the Facilities Services Center at 212-854-2222 or email [email protected].  We look forward to seeing you at Clean + Go Green!

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