Campus moves to a bag-free recycling system following changes from the processing partner.
If you've heard recent buzz about changes to campus recycling procedures, you're not imagining things. The University’s mixed recycling processor, Olive Street Processing, LLC, was recently acquired by Waste Management, Inc., and with the new ownership comes a key change:
Plastic liners are no longer accepted in campus recycling.
That means all recyclable material must now be collected loose, without any bags or liners. Facilities Management is already piloting a new approach by de-bagging materials from the standard blue front-end cans used in most campus buildings.
For teams that rely on compactors to collect recycling, changes are also on the way. All recyclables placed in a compactor must be bag-free—any material collected in plastic bags will be rejected and sent to the landfill.
Campus facilities teams have been asked to begin developing and implementing plans to remove plastic liners from their recycling processes.
Why the change?
The university’s agreement with Olive Street Processing previously allowed bagged recyclables, but Waste Management’s policy does not. To maintain compliance and support our campus sustainability goals, this operational shift is necessary.
Need help or have questions?
Email the UMD Recycling team at recycle@umd.edu for guidance on adapting your operations or to learn more about the pilot efforts already underway.
Let’s keep UMD recycling right—and bag-free.