Waste Reduction & Conservation
BGSU Recycling Program
BGSU offers commingle recycling across campus (meaning all approved recyclable materials go into one recycling bin.) Recycling is region/location specific. Learn what is and isn't recyclable so you can do your part to reduce waste at BGSU.
Electronic Waste Recycling
All types of batteries, electronics, & ink cartridges are recycled at BGSU through the Office of Campus Sustainability! Find out which electronics are accepted, drop off locations, hosting an e-waste recycling station, or arrange a pickup on the website.
Water Bottle Refill Stations
BGSU has a growing number of water-bottle refill stations located across campus. Refilling stations are located above water fountains and provide a quick and easy refill for your re-usable water bottle! Reusable bottles decrease the amount of resources consumed and waste sent to landfills, when compared to single-use, plastic bottles.
When You Move Out, Don't Throw It Out
Our annual "When You Move Out, Don’t Throw It Out" (WYMO) program, is a campus-wide reuse and waste-reduction initiative that has been around for over 20 years! WYMO collects non-perishable food and still-usable, but unwanted, items from students as they are moving out for the academic year to prevent these items from getting sent to a landfill. All food items are donated to The Falcon Food Pantry and other local food pantries. Other items are donated to a variety of charities and shelters. Some items are also avaliable in the ReStore. Thank you for your support!
Plastic Bag Recycling Stations
As a result of funding from the Student Green Initiatives Fund, two plastic bag recycling stations are available on campus! These are for plastic grocery bags, drycleaner bags, bubble wrap, and other clean plastic wrapping with NO paper attached. These stations are on the ground floor of the Union outside of Falcon Outfitters and in the Falcon Heights residence hall lobby.
Green Game Day
The Green Game Day initiative is a joint collaboration between Campus Sustainability and BGSU Athletics in order to increase recycling and reduce waste in and around Doyt Perry Stadium at all home football games. Volunteers are needed for every game each fall football season!
Campus Race to Zero Waste
Campus Race to Zero Waste, formerly RecycleMania, is a friendly competition among college and university recycling programs in the United States & Canada. Each year, BGSU competes on a national level to advance campus recycling and waste reduction efforts by sharing and learning from the competition's results.
Campus Re(Use)Store
We collect surplus office supplies, books, household items, small furniture, and other usable items to make them available to the campus community including students, faculty, and staff, at the Campus Re(Use)Store. This reduces our natural resource consumption and amount of solid waste generated! Check out our Re(Use)Store dates or schedule a pick-up of your extra supplies!
Solid Waste makes up 21% of BGSU's Scope 3 emissions, which includes all "Miscellaneous Emissions."
During a typical week of a semester, BGSU produces over 100,000 pounds of waste (not including waste/debris from construction, demolition, or special projects).
Waste sent to the landfill is responsible for the production of methane, a greenhouse gas which has 13 times more of the heat trapping ability than that of carbon dioxide.
Information is obtained from the Climate Action Plan in fulfillment of the Presidents' Climate Commitment.
Overall goal for reduction of emissions from solid waste
"The overall goal in the solid waste area is to reduce emissions by continuing to decrease landfill waste each year, increasing our diversion rate through a combination of recycling as many commodities as possible and composting of organic waste, re-using materials and items when possible, thus cutting down on purchasing."
-BGSU's Climate Action Plan, 2015
For more detailed information on BGSU's carbon emission profile and the detailed steps to reduce the emissions, please view BGSU's Climate Action Plan.
Updated: 04/09/2025 12:10PM