Clean + Go Green - December 2 to 3, 2021

November 17, 2021

After more than a year hiatus due to Covid-19, “Clean + Go Green” is back at the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses on Thursday, December 2 and Friday, December 3. Some drop off and donation locations are different than past years due to the presence of other tents on campus, so please review the locations carefully.

Cleaning your office or living space creates more space and can also help the environment. Columbia University Facilities and Operations, Columbia Community Service 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 2, 2021 and Friday, December 3, 2021, 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 year’s Clean and Go Green event to your calendar

WHERE?

*Reuse/Donation Drop-off Location: White tent below the steps in front of Butler Library.

Please wear a mask at the donation tent and bring your donation items early to increase the chance that they will find a new home!

*Recycling Drop-off Locations:

  • Uris East Sidewalk (east side of Uris Hall)
  • 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 (secure shredding bins)

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

WHAT?

Items you can bring to a Clean + Go Green drop-off location include (please secure clothing, textile and linens in a plastic bag and clean/dust off other donation items):

Reuse/Donation (Tent near Butler Library only):

  • Coats, as part of the Columbia Community Service Coat Drive
  • Clothing (secure in a plastic bag)
  • Textiles and Linens (secure in a plastic bag)
  • Non-perishable Food
  • Books/Used Books
  • Shoes
  • Small Household Items

New or gently used clothing, coats, scarves, gloves, shoes, and non-perishable goods will go to Columbia Community Service organizations that provide emergency services.

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 every 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 29 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.