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STOP! YOUR DIRTY CONTAINERS IN THE BLUE BINS ARE GOING STRAIGHT TO THE LANDFILL
We know our community is conscientious about reducing their carbon footprint and supporting SFU鈥檚 commitment to sustainability and climate action. But as people start coming back to campus, we want to give you some pointers when you鈥檙e standing in front of our four-stream waste bins.
Contamination in our bins is a waste of your recycling efforts
When you鈥檙e finished that tasty bowl of noodles at Maggie Benston Centre, please don鈥檛 put it in the blue recycling bins. It doesn鈥檛 have to be spotless, but that plastic bowl can鈥檛 be recycled until it is cleaned. Here鈥檚 what you do:
- First, dump the contents of your finished food item into the green compostables bin.
- Next, ideally the container is lightly rinsed with dish soap. In the absence of a sink nearby, give your recyclables a good wipe.
It鈥檚 an extra step for sure, but that one dirty plastic bowl could mean the entire bin being taken to the landfill.
Single use coffee cups 鈥� throw the whole thing in the blue bin
Did you know that in BC our recycling facilities are capable of sorting and separating single use coffee cups? Here鈥檚 what to do with coffee cups:
- Make sure your cup is empty before throwing out.
- Throw the whole thing in the blue bin. That鈥檚 the lid, the paper cup and the sleeve.
It goes without saying that the best way to consume your morning cup is to bring a reusable mug. Find a stylish thermos at the or learn about SFU鈥檚 Mugshare program.
Facilities Services also helps recycle other items like electronics, furniture and much more. Find updated printable signs for our four-stream waste bins and learn more about waste reduction at SFU.
This story is part of a series highlighting the VPFA portfolio's work towards SFU's 2022-2025 Strategic Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. For more information on VPFA sustainability work, please visit sfu.ca/VPFA. For more information on SFU's goals and actions within the sustainability and climate action plan, please visit .