An illustration of buildings surrounded by green plants.

Housing and Residence Life current maintenance and future development plans are guided by sustainability principles promoting collective wellness, improving energy efficiency and sustainable lifestyles. As a resident, you play a critical role in helping reduce the negative environmental impact of our halls in key areas such as waste, energy, and water. We and our campus partners have developed several programs that will help you become a good steward of our shared environment.

Where Waste Should Go

Follow the guide bellow to properly dispose of your waste.

The Three Rules of Recycling include what not and what to do.

Recycling

Georgia Tech Facilities Management provides a list of what can be recycled on campus and where, plus a helpful video for residents about campus recycling.

Composting

Many of our residence halls now include a composting option for your organic waste. Contact your nearest EcoRep if you have any questions.

Student Sustainability Guide

Hard-to-Recycle Items

  • Batteries: Drop-off locations include Clough info desk, Exhibition Hall info desk or EH&S.
  • Clothing: Donate to Green Goodbyes, Goodwill or give to friends.
  • Styrofoam: Structural packaging foam is collected at move-in and the Kendeda Building.
  • Plastic Film/Shopping Bags: Drop-off at the campus Post Office, Kendeda Building or local grocery store.
  • Electronics: Collected at Earth Day in April.
  • Other Items: The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM).

Dumpster locations

In most residence halls, your trash can be taken to the nearest dumpster location outside of your hall.

If You Live in North Ave:

The North Ave Apartments utilize trash chutes for their landfill waste, with recycling options in the trash rooms. Please follow signage in the trash rooms related to recyclable items.

Residents should not stuff items down the trash chutes. If it does not fit down the chute easily, items should be taken to the nearest dumpster. If trash chutes become clogged, please take all trash to the nearest dumpsters and call Housing Facilities to unclog the chute.

 

Get Involved in Campus Sustainability

If you'd like to get more involved in the sustainability efforts in our halls and beyond, check out the opportunities to get more involved below:

Make an Impact in Your Hall: 10 Tips to Conserve Energy

  1. Turn off lights in your spaces when not in use.
  2. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
  3. Open your blinds to let in natural light, heating and cooling.
  4. Wait until you have a full load to do laundry (cold wash is better!)
  5. Take shorter and/or colder showers.
  6. Unplug your appliances that aren't in use.
  7. Report any drips or leaks to the maintenance team immediately.
  8. Do NOT place your recyclables in plastic bags - place items directly in bins.
  9. Switch to LED light bulbs in the lamps and decorative lights you've brought.
  10. Use a power strip, and turn it off when not in use.

Ecoreps

This peer-to-peer educational program trains a select group of passionate RA’s on sustainability topics which they in turn can inform their residents about through events and programming. Applications open at the start and end of every semester. More information at Georgia Tech EcoReps.

Green Grocery Trips

Participate in guided grocery trips where you will learn about how to purchase food sustainably.

Student Organizations

Georgia Tech has several student organizations focused on many aspects of sustainability great and small. Check out the list of groups you can join and find the right fit for your sustainability passions at the Student Organizations page.