Office of Sustainability
Recycling Services
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Since 2008, the Office of Sustainability has operated a single-stream recycling program, a system in which all recyclables are placed in a single bin, and then sorted at a material recovery facility.
Blue Bins
Every office, classroom and residence hall room should be equipped with a small blue recycling bin. If you do not have a bin, please email your building name and room number to sustainabilityFREEMississippi.
- Office and classroom recycling is collected by custodial staff, which is then retrieved by our recycling staff.
- Residence Hall recycling should be emptied by the residents into the larger cans in each building, usually on the first floor, which is then retrieved by our recycling staff.
Please take a few short minutes to review these 4 videos on how to properly recycle in our area.
1. Paper
- newspaper
- magazines/catalogs
- printer paper (white and colored)
- notebook paper
2. Plastic (# 1 and 2 only; please rinse if possible)
- bottles (water, soda, shampoo, etc.)
- jugs ( laundry detergent, milk, juice, etc.)
3. Cardboard
- corrugated cardboard (please flatten)
- boxboard (cereal boxes, tissue boxes, paper towel rolls, etc.)
4. Metal
- aluminum (soda cans, pet food cans, clean pie plates and foil, etc.)
- steel (soup/vegetable cans, etc.)
(Please rinse before recycling)
5. Miscellaneous Items
Please place these items next to the recycling can, not inside it.
- alkaline batteries (A, AA, D, etc.)
- empty ink cartridges from printers
6. To recycle computers or other E-Waste recycling materials, please contact sustainabilityFREEMississippi.
The Southern Miss recycling program does not accept the following materials:
- styrofoam
- glass
- plastic bags / wrappers / film
- hardback books
The Southern Miss recycling program is universal, comprehensive, single-stream, and desk-side. The items collected from residence halls and academic facilities, as well as the recycling drop off, all help reduce the university's environmental impact.
Diversion from Landfill (Weight by Year)
2018 -- 552,409
2017 -- 573,131
2016 -- 578,944
2015 -- 553,257
2014 -- 451,254
2013 -- 385,016
2012 -- 393,194
2011 -- 339,460
2010 -- 315,280