To reach our Zero Waste Mason goal, community-based approaches that support reuse and redistribution must be implemented alongside other waste diversion strategies like composting and recycling.
You can help advance zero waste actions within our local community by sharing your feedback for the City of Fairfax's new Solid Waste Management Plan!
- Share your feedback and help shape the future of recycling and waste reduction in the City of Fairfax: engage.fairfaxva.gov/Trash
You can support a truly zero waste campus:
- Engage with university resources, initiatives, and services that support reuse and redistribution on campus
- Volunteer to help with a sustainable move-out and move-in and donate usable items during Patriot Packout 2026
- Establish your own reuse project or initiative on campus - apply to the Patriot Green Fund
- Sign up and participate in Mason Dining's reusable to-go programs - join ReusePass and the Sip Sip Club
Reuse and Redistribution Resources
The Patriot Pantry is Mason’s on-campus food pantry housed by the Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC) in SUB I (Rm. 3011) at the Fairfax Campus and in Van Metre Hall (Rm. 222) at Mason Square.
The Pantry provides free access to non-perishable food and toiletry supplies for Mason students. Users submit orders online and pick-up their food and hygiene items via contactless pick-up. Students can submit order forms online via the Pantry’s website.
Patriot Pantry’s needs include:
- Pasta and Sauce
- Rice (instant or regular)
- Canned Tuna, Chicken, Salmon
- Mac N Cheese
- Hormel Compleats
- Mixed Vegetables
- Soups
- Cereal and Other Breakfast Items
- Instant Oatmeal
- Healthy Snacks (crackers, nuts, granola bars)
- Peanut Butter and Jelly
- Toilet Paper
- Paper Towels
- Deodorant
- Shampoo and Conditioner
- Body Wash/Bar Soap
- Period Products
- Shaving Cream
- Lotion
- Hand Soap
- Toothpaste
- Floss
- Laundry Detergent
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and other dietary restriction options are particularly encouraged!
- NO expired or near expired items will be accepted.
DONATE to the Patriot Pantry during Patriot Packout or visit the Pantry’s donation page to donate year-round!
- Patriot Packout donation drop-off locations can be found here: go.gmu.edu/patriotpackout
- Year-Round Donations: drop-off non-perishable food and toiletries at the donation table outside of the Fairfax Campus Pantry location (Rm 3011), in the box marked "Donations".
- To contribute monetarily to the Patriot Pantry, please donate to the Student Food and Housing Insecurity Fund!
- Visit the Pantry's website for more detailed form instructions, donation information, as well as information about community support services and additional SNAP resources.
- If you have any questions, please reach out to the Pantry at: [email protected]!
The LGBTQ+ Resources Center created the Trans Clothing Closet in 2019 as a resource where transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming students can find free clothing and accessories. No one has to prove they are “trans enough” to use the closet. Students are welcome to visit the space without an appointment.
All items including flags, flyers, buttons, and clothing and accessories are FREE, they only ask that you fill out a small survey so staff and volunteers can provide everyone with the best experience possible.
- Please visit the LGBTQ+ Resources Center website for up-to-date donation acceptance and more information about the Trans Clothing Closet resource.
Trans Clothing Closet’s Clothing Needs
- Please check their website for up-to-date information!
The Art Supply Sharing Cabinet was established in 2022 in partnership with University Sustainability’s Patriot Green Fund. It is located in Room 2046 of the Art and Design building on the Fairfax Campus.
The free supply sharing cabinet is a socially conscious resource that provides access to valuable art supplies that aren’t always affordable, promotes a culture of sharing amongst students, and encourages recycling unused or unneeded materials instead of throwing them away.
The Art Supply Sharing Closet’s current needs includes:
- Magazines and Scrap Paper
- Printer Paper
- Writing Utensils
- Journals and Notebooks
- Paperclips
- Binders
- Yarn and Needlework
- Fabric and sewing materials (not actual clothing, but raw textile materials like fabric swatches and patches, thread, yard, etc.)
- Jewelry and beading
- Sheets of Vinyl
- Epoxy Resin molds and Equipment (no resin, related materials only)
- Seasonal Decor
- Gift Wrapping and Other Storage
- Dried or Fake Floral
- Art and design related books and textbooks
- Other supplies that can be repurposed for art
Established in 2008 and supported in 2014-15 by University Sustainability’s Patriot Green Fund (PGF), this program collects new and gently used musical instruments generously donated by members of the community. Used instruments should be clean and in functioning or near-functioning order for donation.
- Please visit the Mason Community Art Academy’s website for detailed instructions on how to donate!
Facilities Surplus Warehouse is open Monday – Friday from 8:00am – 4:00pm
- University equipment (” white goods” like appliances, motorized utility vehicles, etc.)
- University electronics
- University furniture
- Other office supplies
- University equipment and furniture beyond repair or obsolete beyond usage must be processed as surplus property.
Surplus Property is located at the Facilities Services Warehouse on the Fairfax Campus. Reusable furniture and equipment are stored at the Warehouse and made available to all Mason staff and faculty to claim for reuse in their department.
Any surplus inventory not obtained for reuse at Mason is auctioned off on GovDeals (all auctions are accessible to the public), donated to state registered nonprofit partners, or broken down for recycling or safe trash disposal.
Mason departments are prohibited from abandoning equipment. Equipment must not be thrown away, left in hallways, or otherwise abandoned.
- Students must be accompanied by department staff members to obtain surplus property.
- All Mason staff and faculty can claim surplus property for reuse in their department.
- For more information, please visit Fiscal Services’ Equipment Inventory webpage, if you have any additional questions about declaring an item for surplus you may also reach out at [email protected].
Patriot Packout (PPO) is a community-based initiative decreasing waste incineration while addressing basic needs insecurity in the George Mason community. PPO provides on-campus donation resources for all students, faculty, and staff affected by spring semester move-out. PPO diverts usable items from trash and redistributes them to Mason students, staff/faculty, and community members who can benefit from them during pop-up Free Store events.
In 2023, University Sustainability launched the Patriot Packout Planning Committee to expand PPO’s impact across Mason, with the goal of prioritizing the free redistribution of donated goods to the Mason community and those in need.
Check the PPO webpage for accepted donations, donation locations, and volunteer opportunities!
PPO accepts gently used, like-new, or new items: “IF YOU WOULDN’T GIVE IT TO A FRIEND, DON’T GIVE IT TO PPO.”
Bikes, Scooters, and Skateboards
- If you can’t bring your bike to a PPO donation location or a Bike to Mason Day event, email [email protected] a photo of your bike and its bike rack location.
Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories
- All items must be clean and bagged separately.
- NO used undergarments, socks, or unwashed clothing.
Unopened, Unexpired Non-Perishable Food and Toiletry Supplies
- Food and toiletry supplies must be unused/unopened and not expired or close to expiration.
Textbooks, Testing Supplies, and Art Supplies
- See the Art Supply Sharing Cabinet and First Gen+ Center's lists at the PPO webpage.
Small Appliances and Electronics
- Fragile items must be boxed separately. Bring e-waste to PPO 2025 drop-off locations.
Small Furniture and Equipment
- Mirrors must be unbroken, and all furniture must be assembled.
- NO foam mattress pads (unless new/boxed).
Your donations benefit Mason’s Patriot Packout partners: Parking and Transportation, Trans Clothing Closet, LGBTQ+ Resources Center, Patriot Pantry, Art Supplies Sharing Closet, and the MIX, among others.
ReusePass - Reusable To-Go Program
All George Mason students, staff, and faculty can sign up for Mason Dining's free reusable to-go program, ReusePass! The ReusePass program helps reduce waste on campus by providing a sustainable alternative to single-use disposal. Sign up for ReusePass to borrow and return reusable to-go containers at the Eaterie, The Spot, and through the Starship app for free.
Participating in ReusePass at the Eaterie or The Spot?
- Go to reusepass.com to create your free account
- Check out a reusable container by 1) choosing ReusePass on your kiosk order at The Eaterie or 2) using your ReusePass QR code at The Spot
- Empty your reusable container of all waste when you finish your meal
- Return your empty reusable container at 1) the return bin outside the Eaterie (between the Eaterie and Chick-Fil-A) or 2) at the dish return rack inside The Spot
-
- Containers should be returned within 3 days - your ReusePass account will update to reflect your return within 24-48 hours
- Track your reusable to-go container rentals at: reusepass.com
Participating in ReusePass through the Starship App?
- Go to reusepass.com to create your free account
- Select the 'reusable container' option in your Starship app when adding to your order
- Empty your reusable container of all waste when you finish your meal
- Return your empty reusable container at 1) the return bin outside the Eaterie (between the Eaterie and Chick-Fil-A) or 2) at the dish return rack inside The Spot
-
- Containers should be returned within 3 days - your ReusePass account will update to reflect your return within 24-48 hours
- Track your reusable to-go container rentals at: reusepass.com
Sip Sip Club - Reusable Coffee Mug Program
All George Mason students, staff, and faculty can join Mason Dining's Sip Sip Club to receive unlimited free coffee and tea and a 10-cent discount on handcrafted beverages at participating Mason Dining locations through May 31, 2026. You can join the Sip Sip Club by purchasing a reusable travel mug for $129.99 at on-campus locations listed here.
What do Sip Sip Club members receive?
- Unlimited coffee and tea at participating campus locations (Starbucks; Dunkin'; Einstein Bros. Bagels, Mason Square Cafe, Randall's Cafe, Patriot Coffee Shop)
- 10 ¢ discount on handcrafted beverages at participating campus locations (Starbucks; Dunkin'; Einstein Bros. Bagels, Mason Square Cafe, Randall's Cafe, Patriot Coffee Shop)
- Collectable mug
WASTE SORTING GUIDANCE
Standard Waste Streams (Zero Waste Stations)
CANS & BOTTLES
Clean and empty:
- Aluminum beverage cans and bottles
- Aluminum and metal food cans
- Plastic bottles
- Plastic jugs
- Remove all lids from bottles/jugs, labels are fine.
- NO liquids and food waste (if you can’t clean it, throw out items contaminated with food waste)
- NO other plastics or polystyrene packaging/containers
- NO glass bottles and jars (drop-off recycling at purple trailers only)
Updating Mason’s commingled recycling bins to 'Cans and Bottles' is a strategic effort to maximize clean recycling and improve our overall diversion rate. Plastic bottles and jugs are nearly always accepted for recycling while nearly all other single-use plastics products have limited-to-no recycling acceptance. Please do not wish-cycle: When items like cups, food containers, bags, and wrappers are placed in Cans and Bottles or other recycling bins, they “contaminate” the stream since they are not recyclable. High recycling contamination can cause entire loads to be thrown in the trash.
Updating this stream to Cans and Bottles improves the quality of Mason’s recycling and addresses single-use plastics significant track record of environmental pollution. To reduce single-use plastics pollution, please avoid using single-use plastics items whenever you can, support better alternatives like reusables, and recycle empty Cans and Bottles when you use them.
PAPER
Clean and dry:
- Lined paper
- Index cards
- Printer paper
- Colored paper
- Newspaper
- Paper folders
- Letterhead
- Coffee cup sleeves
- Envelopes
- Paper bags
- Magazines
- Paper without plastic coating (Test if you can easily tear it)
- Post-it notes
- Ink is fine
- Staples are fine, but please remove binder clips, paper clips, flags and coils
- NO napkins, paper towels, or paper contaminated with food waste
Mason is currently combining White Paper and Mixed/Colored Paper labeled recycling bins to create one Paper waste stream. This strategic change is being carried out to improve campus access to recycling at 'Zero Waste Station' locations across George Mason's campuses.
Zero Waste Stations represent standardized bin locations for accessing recycling and trash disposal. A combined Paper waste stream benefit Zero Waste Station efforts in several ways:
- Supports recycling and custodial staff members' work to co-locate recycling bins next to trash bins on campus
- Makes it simpler for Mason Patriots to appropriately recycle their paper by reducing the number of waste streams at each location
- Supports future design standards improvements at locations, such as standardized bilingual waste labels and adding Compost as an additional waste stream
TRASH
Single-Use Plastics and Polystyrene:
- Bags
- Cups, bowls, and lids
- Food containers and tubs
- Hinged clamshells food containers
- Straws
- Cutlery
- Tape
- Stickers
- Balloons
- Glitter
- Microwavable food trays
- Triangle tea bags
- Vinyl tablecloths
- Expanded polystyrene (foam takeout containers, packing peanuts, etc.)
- Bubble and other plastics wrap/film
- Bubble mailers
Mixed Materials:
- Pumps and spray tops (hand soap pumps, etc.)
- Condiment packets
- Sugar packets
- Plastic coated paper (some receipts, etc.)
- Coffee and creamer pods
- Drink cartons (Oat milk containers, etc.)
- Hardback binders
- Chip bags
- Glitter paper (wrapping paper, etc.)
- Candy wrappers
- Padded paper mailers *
* Padded Amazon mailers are NOT recyclable at Mason. The interior padding is expanded polystyrene foam!
Miscellaneous Glass:
- Mirrors
- Ceramics
- Painted glass
- Broken glass
- Glass cups and tempered containers
- Glass bottles and jars*
* Glass bottles and jars are ONLY recyclable at Mason's purple drop-off trailers on the Fairfax Campus. If you cannot bring glass bottles and jars to pilot drop-off trailer locations, they must be disposed of in campus Trash bins.
Compost in Trash?
Mason would prefer our community take food scraps to available drop-off locations. If you cannot bring compostable food scraps to select drop-off locations, all food and drink liquids must be disposed of in Trash to ensure our recycling is not rejected due to food contamination. See the Compost section below for specific guidance.
Mason is aiming for zero waste, and you can help us get there! To achieve true waste diversion, it’s important to communicate with transparency about what happens with waste beyond Mason’s campuses, as well as about the limitations of plastics recycling.
Mason is eliminating single-use plastics and polystyrene as part of a multi-year phase-out and replacement of unsustainable materials with more sustainable alternatives. It's estimated that only 5-6% of post-consumer plastics waste was recycled in the U.S. over 2021, while only 9% of all global plastics ever produced have been recycled once.
There are only two plastics items, Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) bottles and jugs, that are widely accepted by U.S. recycling facilities. Despite single-use plastics bottles and jugs' recycling acceptance, PET and HDPE can only be recycled a maximum of 9-10 times before needing landfilling or incineration. Single-use plastics will always need fossil fuel extraction to sustain production, given the limitations of recycling plastics and surging global production.
A significant quantity of single-use plastics was eliminated from Mason Dining and campus vendors' operations. If you are still unsure about the correct bin for your waste items (after reviewing labels), please dispose of them in the trash. Waste items placed in the incorrect bin may contaminate campus recycling or compost streams, causing entire loads of recoverable materials to be rejected as trash.
Drop-Off Only Waste Streams
CARDBOARD
Emptied and flattened:
- Cardboard boxes
- Paperboard boxes (ex. tissue boxes, cereal boxes, etc.)
- Egg cartons
- Pizza boxes (no food waste/liquids)
- Tape and labels are fine (box must be flattened)
- Cardboard, paperboard, and pizza boxes must be empty of all other waste materials (ex. food waste, plastic sleeves, etc.) and flattened
- Empty and flatten paperboard boxes (ex. tissue boxes, cereal boxes, etc.) before recycling. Paperboard boxes can be recycled as Cardboard or placed in Paper labeled recycling bins (ex. a tissue box that can easily fit in Paper recycling bins once flattened).
Staff/Faculty:
- Please bring flattened cardboard boxes to the large black recycling cart located behind your building (ex. large, wheeled cart at outdoor loading docks)
- Do not place cardboard boxes or other bulk items (ex. textbooks, surplus equipment, etc.) at recycling stations or in building hallways.
- Centralized recycling stations are for daily use only and not intended for bulk recycling pick up.
- Do not place cardboard boxes or other bulk items (ex. textbooks, surplus equipment, etc.) at recycling stations or in building hallways.
- No Cardboard Recycling Cart at your building's loading dock/exterior?
- Submit a Work Request with Facilities and Campus Operations (F&CO) or contact the F&CO Customer Service Center at (703) 993-2525 or [email protected] for additional assistance
- Please select 'Waste/Recycle' under the 'Issue' dropdown menu
- Note the specific building, locations where you looked for the building's Recycling cart, and any other important information that Recycling staff should know under 'Work Requested'
- Submit a Work Request with Facilities and Campus Operations (F&CO) or contact the F&CO Customer Service Center at (703) 993-2525 or [email protected] for additional assistance
- High volume of Cardboard or moving?
- Submit a Work Request with Facilities and Campus Operations (F&CO) or contact the F&CO Customer Service Center at (703) 993-2525 or [email protected] for additional assistance
- Please select 'Waste/Recycle' under the 'Issue' dropdown menu
- Note the specific recycling stream (ex. cardboard, paper, binders, etc.) you need picked up, if you are requesting recycling bins for an office clean-out/move, and any other important information that will impact Recycling staff during pick up under 'Work Requested'
- Submit a Work Request with Facilities and Campus Operations (F&CO) or contact the F&CO Customer Service Center at (703) 993-2525 or [email protected] for additional assistance
Students:
- At a Campus Building?
- Place flattened cardboard behind centralized recycling stations inside the building.
- At a Residence Hall?
- Please place all flattened cardboard behind or between bins inside your residence hall's waste and recycling room.
- Live in Presidents Park?
- Bring flattened cardboard boxes to the appropriate outdoor recycling container near your residence hall. Don’t leave cardboard in the hallways as it is a fire and tripping hazard.
COMPOST
Industrial Composting:
- ALL food waste (includes dairy, meat and bones)
- Drink liquids and ice
- Certified compostable foodservice ware (compostable containers, cups, cutlery, etc.) with Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) or Compost Manufacturing Alliance (CMA) Certification Mark:
- NO single-use plastics or trash
- NO cleaning chemicals, shop and cleaning rags, or other hazardous materials
- NO items labeled ‘biodegradable’ or ‘biobased’
- NO compostable items that are missing the BPI/CMA logos, or #7 PLA symbol
'Industrial' compost drop-off is ONLY available at the Bigbelly Zero Waste Station initiative's drop-off locations on the Fairfax Campus.
Third-party certified compostable foodservice ware will NOT breakdown in “backyard” compost piles. Products like PLA cups are “commercially compostable only”, which means they require extreme (and consistent) composting conditions to properly degrade. These compostable products must be processed off-campus at a large, high heat composting facility to properly break down.
- See the 'Industrial Compost Drop-Off' section below or visit our Composting page to find drop-off locations.
- Bigbelly Zero Waste Station Drop-Off (6 Patio Locations)
- Northern Neck Starbucks Patio
- Merten Hall (Panda Express Patio & Manhattan Pizza Patio)
- HUB Patio
- SUB I Patio
- Southside Dining Hall Patio
- Pilot Zero Waste Station Drop-Off (Indoor Locations)
- Northern Neck Starbucks Lobby
- The Globe Dining Hall (near dish return)
- Katherine G. Johnson Hall (1st floor only)
Compostable materials accepted at industrial drop-off locations:
- Food waste (all types)
- Beverage liquids
- BPI/CMA certified compostable items (check for certification mark)
Visit our Composting page for more information! Share our Composting at Mason flyer resource.
Compost piles can be found at the Innovation Food Forest and the Potomac Heights Garden on the Fairfax Campus (See Sustainable Mason Map).
- These sites are managed by University Sustainability’s Greenhouse and Gardens program.
- Anyone can contribute to these composting piles!
- Items accepted at these ‘backyard’ compost sites:
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Non-oily food scraps (e.g., bread/pasta)
- Coffee grounds and loose teas
- Please cover what you dropped off with leaves/twigs before leaving.
- NO meat, dairy, processed/oily foods, or commercially compostable foodservice ware (on-campus compost piles cannot break down bioplastics)!
Yes, Mason first began composting pre-consumer (generated during preparation) and post-consumer food waste (remaining after diners finish their meals) at Southside in 2018.
In 2019, Mason’s dining hall composting initiative expanded to include all three Fairfax dining halls – the Globe, Southside, and Ike’s. To date, over 560,000 pounds of food waste has been composted at Fairfax dining hall locations!
Facilities staff pick up food waste once per week from Mason’s Point of View Retreat Center in Lorton, VA. This food waste is collected by Compost Crew, combined with the Fairfax dining halls’ compost, and processed off-campus at Freestate Farms’ industrial composting facility in Lorton, VA.
George Mason University began its industrial composting program at Southside Dining Hall in 2018. The program was expanded in 2019 to include Southside Dining Hall, Ike's Diner, and The Globe Dining Hall. All pre-consumer and post-consumer food waste (and any third-party certified compostable foodservice ware) are currently collected from these 3 dining hall locations by the university's contracted compost hauler, Compost Crew, and transported to the Convertus Advanced Aeration Composting Facility in Manassas, Virginia. This commercial composting facility is operated by the Convertus Group (formerly Freestate Farms).
Additionally, George Mason Facilities & Campus Operations' Recycling and Waste Management staff collect industrially compostable material from several Fairfax Campus and Science and Technology (SciTech) Campus locations:
- The Spot
- Starbucks Northern Neck
- Facilities & Campus Operations Complex (Paper Towel Composting Pilot)
- Johnson Center prep kitchens (select sites)
- 6 Bigbelly 'Zero Waste Station' outdoor locations
- Better Bins Preview Initiative (Katherine G. Johnson Hall's 1st floor and Innovation Hall)
George Mason's Recycling and Waste Management team also brings all the industrially compostable material they collect to the Convertus Advanced Aeration Composting Facility in Manassas, Virginia.
GLASS BOTTLES & JARS
Glass is NO longer accepted in Mason’s standard Cans and Bottles recycling bins.
- Mason Patriots can ONLY recycle glass bottles and jars at purple trailers/bins on the Fairfax Campus, see the current schedule here.
- If you are not able to bring glass bottles and jars to a glass recycling drop-off location, place all glass in campus Trash bins instead.
Cleaned and emptied:
- Glass bottles
- Glass jars
- Lids and labels are fine.
- All colors of glass bottles and jars are accepted.
- NO glass cups, broken glass, painted glass, ceramics, mirrors, or other misc. glass items.
- NO lightbulbs, lamps or other hazardous glass items.
- NO plastic and paper bags or anything you use to transport glass bottles and jars for drop-off.
- NO food or drink liquids!
Mason Patriots can recycle glass bottles and jars by dropping them off at two purple trailers on the Fairfax Campus. Purple trailers change locations on a biweekly, semester schedule (view flyer here):
| Southside Dining Hall & Lot R | Rogers Hall & Student Townhouses |
| August 25 – September 7 | September 8 – September 21 |
| September 22 – October 5 | October 6 – October 19 |
| October 20 – November 2 | November 3 – November 16 |
| November 17 – November 30 | December 1 – December 14 |
| December 15 – December 22* (winter break) |
Note: Mason’s purple trailers are emptied based on capacity. Trailers' availability and locations may be updated to reflect campus feedback and glass recycling volumes collected. Please check this page for updates about Mason's Glass Recycling Program!
The up-to date schedule can be found here.
George Mason University’s Facilities & Campus Operations (F&CO) Recycling team delivers glass bottles and jars to Fairfax County’s I-66 Transfer Station, where they are picked up by a glass recycling partner. At their recycling facility, glass bottles and jars are crushed into manageable pieces, cleaned, and sorted by color to produce glass cullet. The glass cullet is transported to regional manufacturing facilities and reused to produce recycled glass containers.
Recycling glass locally avoids the negative environmental and social impacts of sand mining and reduces the need for new glass production. Unlike single-use plastics, which degrade and lose quality when recycled, glass can be continuously recycled without losing its physical properties. Please take the extra step - recycle your glass at Mason’s purple trailers whenever you can!
To report broken glass or other maintenance emergencies, please submit a Housing and Residence Life Maintenance Request AND contact a Resource Desk immediately:
- Eisenhower Hall, 703-993-2750
- Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
- Piedmont Hall ,703-993-9880
- Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
To report a non-emergency maintenance issue at a drop-off trailer location, please submit a Housing and Residence Life Maintenance Request.
Do NOT dispose of glass bottles and jars in Cans and Bottles recycling bins (all standard outdoor recycling bins accept aluminum cans and PET/HDPE plastics beverage bottles only).
Recycle your glass bottles and jars by dropping them off at the nearest purple trailer on the Fairfax Campus. Spread the word about Mason's new Glass Recycling Program and other zero waste resources!
Did you know glass is endlessly recyclable? Support reusing and repurposing glass locally:
- Drop-off your clean glass bottles and jars at Mason's two purple trailers on the Fairfax Campus.
- If you can’t drop-off glass bottles and jars at new purple trailer locations, bring glass to off-campus Purple Can Club locations or dispose of all glass in campus Trash bins instead.
Glass bottles and jars are considered trash at Mason except when appropriately recycled at purple trailer locations on the Fairfax Campus. Glass bottles and jars placed in any other campus recycling bins are considered contamination and may cause the whole recycling load to be thrown away as trash!
If you can't access the purple trailers' side openings, a purple glass recycling bin is available at each drop-off location to support recycling access for all Mason Patriots. If you can deposit your glass inside the purple trailers' side openings, but find that one opening may be blocked, please try a different opening to deposit glass inside the trailer.
This program does not extend to all of Mason's campuses yet! If you can't visit a pilot drop-off location on the Fairfax Campus, please dispose of glass in labeled Trash bins or bring clean glass jars and bottles to your nearest off-campus Purple Can Club location for recycling.
LDPE PLASTIC FILM
Low-Density Polyethylene Film (LDPE #4) ONLY:
Clean and dry:
- Pillow packaging / film
- Pallet wrap
- Blue recycling bags (must be clean and dry)
- Low density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic mailers (no padding)
- Grocery bags
- Bread bags
- If you can easily stretch it, you can dispose of it within university drop-off boxes
- NO plastic cling wrap, food wrap, or food packaging items
Public LDPE film drop-off:
- Commonwealth Hall (outside main entrance)
Restricted LDPE film drop-off:
- Johnson Center Loading Dock *
- EagleBank Arena Loading Dock *
- Facilities Surplus Warehouse *
- Southside Loading Dock *
- The Globe Loading Dock *
- Ike’s Diner Loading Dock *
- The HUB Loading Dock *
- Colgan Hall Loading Dock (SciTech Campus) *
* Not for public use, provided for operational staff use only.
LDPE plastic film is collected by the Facilities Waste and Recycling team and brought to the Facilities Recycling Yard on the Fairfax Campus.
At the Facilities Recycling Yard, staff members sort plastic film by hand, consolidate clean plastic, and load it into a baler that compresses the bulk plastics for easier transportation.
Bales of compressed plastic are picked up by International Paper and brought to their processing facility in Richmond, VA. The bales are consolidated into larger bales and resold to plastics recycling partners.
Plastics recycling partners pelletizes the LDPE by converting it into small cylindrical pieces. The pieces are sold to different plastics manufacturing facilities where they are used to manufacture new plastics products like composite decking, bottles, plastics bags, etc.
Hazardous Waste Streams
ELECTRONICS WASTE
Small Electronics Waste (E-Waste):
- Chargers
- Cell phones
- Cords
- Batteries (tape over the metal terminal connection points before disposal) *
- Ink Cartridges *
* Batteries and Ink Cartridges: are also categorized as universal waste. Mason staff and faculty should place a Facilities work order, or coordinate with their zone manager to ensure safe disposal.
Large Electronics Waste (E-Waste):
- Computer Peripherals (keyboard, mouse, headsets, etc.)
- Computers and Laptops
- Monitors and television screens
- Printers
- Cameras
- Projectors
- Tablets
- Other electronic appliances
Small E-Waste: e-waste collection stations are located inside the Johnson Center, on the 1st floor by Freshens, and by the stairs on the 2nd floor atrium.
Large E-Waste: please place a work order with Housing and Residence Life or with Mason Facilities if you need assistance disposing of large e-waste safely.
- Students can also contact Facilities Customer Service Center at (703) 993-2525 or [email protected] with additional e-waste questions.
- Visit the Sustainable Mason Map to find e-waste drop-boxes to recycle batteries.
- Visit the Risk, Safety, and Resilience website for more information about the handling and disposal of hazardous wastes at Mason, as well as to register for available safety trainings.
All surplus e-waste must be declared and processed as surplus property since items are state-owned equipment.
- Review Fiscal Services’ Equipment Inventory webpage for detailed instructions to declare electronics equipment as surplus property.
- Contact Facilities Customer Service at [email protected] or (703) 993-2525 if you have questions about e-waste disposal at Mason.
- Visit the Risk, Safety, and Resilience website for more information about the handling and disposal of hazardous wastes at Mason, as well as to register for available safety trainings.
UNIVERSAL WASTE
Universal waste materials contain substances that are hazardous to human health and the environment. They should NOT be thrown in the trash.
- Printer cartridges
- Lightbulbs and lamps
- All Batteries (lithium ion, rechargeable cell phone batteries, auto batteries, etc.)
- Mercury containing equipment (ex. LCD screens and monitors, medical equipment, etc.)
Mason Students: can drop-off printer cartridges, cellphones, and batteries at the two e-waste drop-boxes in the Johnson Center on the Fairfax Campus (1st floor by Freshens and 2nd floor atrium).
- Batteries and ink cartridges should be dropped off in separate, sealed containers. Tape over the metal terminal connection points before disposal.
- Contact Facilities Customer Service at [email protected] or (703) 993-2525 if you have questions about universal waste disposal at Mason.
- Visit the Sustainable Mason Map to find the e-waste drop-boxes for recycling batteries and small e-waste items.
- Visit the Risk, Safety, and Resilience website for more information about the handling and disposal of hazardous wastes at Mason, as well as to register for available safety trainings.
Mason Faculty and Staff: should contact their zone managers or place a Facilities work order for universal waste pick-up. University equipment must be declared and processed as surplus property since items are state-owned equipment.
- Contact Facilities Customer Service at [email protected] or (703) 993-2525 if you have questions about universal waste disposal at Mason.
- Visit the Risk, Safety, and Resilience website for more information about the handling and disposal of hazardous wastes at Mason, as well as to register for available safety trainings.
- Review Fiscal Services’ Equipment Inventory webpage for detailed instructions to declare university equipment as surplus property.
- Fairfax County Residents: review Fairfax County’s Household Hazardous Waste webpage for off-campus disposal guidance.
AEROSOL CANS & LIQUID HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS DROP OFF INITIATIVE (Student Only)
Created in collaboration with Environmental Health & Safety and Housing and Residence Life Housekeeping, this drop-off pilot provides Mason students with safe drop-off access for disposing of their household hazardous aerosol cans and liquid household cleaners waste on the Fairfax Campus.
Aerosol cans and liquid household cleaners waste must be managed and stored differently than trash items to ensure their safe disposal due to the flammable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic characteristics/components they may contain.
Aerosol cans are considered hazardous waste because they are pressurized and contain flammable propellants like butane that can be dangerous or explosive under certain conditions. Similarly, certain chemicals/components contained in liquid household cleaners waste can harm the health of people and our environment if improperly managed for disposal.
Aerosol Cans - use the red drop-off bin ONLY:
- Aerosol can cleaners/deodorizers (disinfectant, room spray, air duster spray, etc.)
- Aerosol can hygiene products (shaving cream, hairspray, etc.)
Liquid Household Cleaners - use the gray drop-off bin ONLY:
- Liquid cleaner containers (cleaning spray, drain cleaners, toilet cleaners, oven cleaners, etc.)
- ALL aerosol cans and liquid household cleaners must be properly lidded/sealed for drop-off.
- Please use designated red bins for aerosol cans and gray bins for liquid household cleaners waste, do not dispose of items in the same drop-off bin.
- Make sure the lids of drop-off bins are completely closed before leaving!
Mason’s residential students can bring their household hazardous aerosol cans and cleaning supplies to designated drop-off bins located outside of three Fairfax Campus residence halls:
- Commonwealth Hall (entrance)
- Potomac Heights (breezeway)
- Liberty Square (breezeway)
Each drop-off location includes a red, metal drop-off bin for aerosol cans, and a gray plastic drop-off bin for cleaning supplies.
Visit the Risk, Safety, and Resilience website for more information about the handling and disposal of hazardous wastes at Mason, as well as to register for available safety trainings.
George Mason students can bring their aerosol cans and liquid household cleaners to designated drop-off bins located outside of Commonwealth Hall, Potomac Heights, and Liberty Square.
- Bring lidded/sealed aerosol cans and liquid household cleaners to outdoor drop-off bin locations (i.e., designated bin for each item outside of Commonwealth Hall, Potomac Heights, or Liberty Square).
- All aerosol and liquid household cleaner containers must be properly sealed/lidded for drop-off.
- Take aerosol cans and liquid household cleaners out of any bags you use to transport them.
- Do not dispose of plastic, paper or other bags inside drop-off containers.
- Gently deposit lidded/sealed containers in the designated drop-off bin. DO NOT deposit aerosol cans and liquid household cleaners in the same drop-off bin.
- Aerosol cans are deposited in the red drop-off bin, use the foot lever at the bottom of the bin to lift the lid.
- Ex. Houshold disinfectant aerosol can is placed in red bin (cap on).
- Liquid household cleaners are deposited in the gray drop-off bin by lifting the bin lid directly.
- Ex. Spray bottle of household disinfectant is placed in gray bin (nozzle in locked position).
- Aerosol cans are deposited in the red drop-off bin, use the foot lever at the bottom of the bin to lift the lid.
- Ensure drop-off bins’ lids are closed before leaving!
- DO NOT leave bins open before leaving outdoor drop-off locations.
- Please submit a Housing and Residence Life Maintenance Request AND contact the nearest Resource Desk asap if you are unable to close/access bins.
To report a maintenance issue at an aerosol cans or liquid household cleaners' drop-off bin location, please submit a Housing and Residence Life Maintenance Request AND contact a Resource Desk immediately about the specific location and issue you are reporting:
Eisenhower Hall, 703-993-2750
- Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
Piedmont Hall ,703-993-9880
- Open 24 hours, 7 days a week