Waste

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Upside down triangle showing the waste management hierarchy from most preferred to lease preferred. First: Source Reduction & Waste. Second: Recycling and Composting Third: Energy Recovery Fourth: Treatment and Disposal

Know Your Campus

  • CSI is taking on a challenge to reduce waste on campus and in the community through various initiatives.
  • Our priority is to Reduce and Reuse some of the waste generated.  Anything that could be Recycled or Composted is diverted according to the DSNY's rules.
  • Since 2019, during Stop & Swaps events, a total of 15,023.04 lbs of items were donated and diverted from going into landfills. 70.2% of items or 10,546.3 lbs was taken back into the community on the same day. The remaining 29.8% of items which is 4,477.1 lbs is kept for our next events or donated to organizations like Salvation Army and Wearable Collections.
  • Since 2018, we have collected over 81,000 bottles and redeemed over 47,373 bottles. Funds from redeeming the bottles allowed us to purchase 7 bottle-shaped recycling bins in location  1R, the highest recycling-generating building.
  • Starting in May 2025, we will help recycle unwanted bikes. 
Together, we can make a difference. Small changes in behavior can have a big impact on our planet! When you throw something away, Where does it go? Figure showing the map of the United States and how much garbage is generated and how much ended up in the landfill in 2018. In the United States in 2018, 292.4 million tons of trash were generated and 146.1 million tons ended up in landfills.

Did you know?

  • The total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2018 was 292.4 million tons in the US.
  • That is 4.9 pounds per person per day
  • This initiative fulfills UN Sustainability Goal #12

Get involved:

On the Campus:

  • Follow the DSNY labels on the bins on campus and divert your waste appropriately.
  • Attend and assist monthly Compost Workshop and learn why composting is so important.
  • Participate or volunteer at Waste Diversion events on campus.
  • Get notified of our next event

Where You Live

  • Follow the DSNY's residential waste rules and divert your waste accordingly
  • Try to reuse items before tossing them
  • Donate items you no longer need instead of throwing them in the garbage