Personal Recycling, Shredding Event

Volunteer Signup

People dropping off items must:

1. Be an UNMC, Nebraska Medicine, UNO, or Clarkson College employee or student
   1. Show their I.D. badge
2. Have recyclable items segregated by category, containers with mixed items will not be accepted.
3. Have paper in totes, boxes, or paper bags
4. Have small items in totes, boxes, or bags
5. Boxes and/or totes can be returned to guest
6. Have food pantry donations clearly marked
7. Stay in their car and allow attendants to unload the items from the car
8. Turn off car ventilation system while attendants are unloading

We will continue to hold it over 2 days to make it easier for you to come, and have increased the hours around lunch time to make it easier for you.  Please note, we’ll be collecting at different times each day to allow different shifts to drop off items.  Have more items that you can fit in your car?  You can swing by both days!

Unfortunately we are not able to host this event at any other locations.  ANY Nebraska Medicine, UNMC, Clarkson College, or UNO student, faculty, or colleague is invited to drop items off (valid I.D. required).  If you are located off site and want to combine a trip with a fellow colleague that would be great!

Bring your personal electronics for recycling and documents for shredding.  This is our top requested event, and this year we are collecting even more items.  Please read below for details, costs, and ‘rules’.

Reusing is the best alternative!

If your electronics still work, please consider donating them rather than bringing them to us.  Goodwill accepts most electronics, Habitat for Humanity ReStore accepts appliances, and the Salvation Army , Open Door Mission and/or Paralyzed Veterans of America will accept most items.  Click on the charity for more information.  Most of these groups will come to your house and pick items up for free, and will accept items we won’t, such as clothing.  Victim services need cellphones for emergency situations, and the Women’s Center for Advancement uses them to help women.  The Henry Doorly Zoo collects cellphones to raise money for The Orangutan Conservancy–and this April they have a special ask: Gorillas on the Line…Answer the Call.

Some charities and thrift stores will accept VHS tapes, if they were originally a purchased item.

If your item is broken or not eligible for a charity, please bring it to us.

Here’s what you need to know:

Who: All Nebraska Medicine, UNMC, Clarkson College, and UNO faculty, staff, and students are invited to this event. Valid I.D. Badge required. This event is not open to the public.

What: Bring household confidential documents to be shredded, & electronic equipment, single use/alkaline batteries, and techno-trash for recycling.  Pop tabs and eyeglasses can be dropped off as well.

When: Tuesday May 7, 10am-6pm and Wednesday May 8, 6am-2pm

Where: UNMC Grounds Building (annex 23) in Lot 17, 4650 Jones Street.  Enter by turning north onto 45^th from Leavenworth Street.  Follow signs northwest to Grounds Building.  Enter drive through building on South side, exit to North, and onto Saddle Creek Rd.  Click here to see a map.

With the exception of some items, the shredding/recycling services are provided to you for free.  This year we ask that all cars with items to drop off bring an item for the Maverick Food Pantry (MFP) on UNO’s campus which serves both UNO and UNMC students who are food insecure.  The MFP is looking for specific items, found here.  If you cannot bring an item we will collect cash and/or requested gift cards as well.

Items you can bring to recycle:

Paper: Any grade of paper that needs to be shredded prior to recycling.  Paper that does not need to be shredded (newspapers, magazines, etc.) can be recycled curbside.  Staples are OK, as are plastic windows in envelopes.  All paper needs to be brought in paper bag for easy drop-off.  If paper is delivered in boxes or a tote you will get the box/tote back.  Do not bring paper in a plastic bag.  Containers with a mix of items (materials other than paper) will not be accepted.  Paper is not shredded on site, but is secured and shredded in the same format approved on both the UNO and Medical Center campus.

Electronics: Anything that has a plug, circuit board, or runs on batteries.  Hard drives will be physically shredded, off campus, and this comes with a small fee as well.  We cannot accept major appliances, such as refrigerators, washer/dryers, etc.

Remove loose pieces (glass turntables in microwaves, etc.) as well as all batteries–don’t forget to check the remote!  You can keep those items or alkaline batteries will be accepted here (see below). All rechargeable batteries (including watch/button batteries, and car batteries) should be taken to Under the Sink.

We will also accept steel scrap metal in personal quantities.

Items with recycling fee:

• Desktop computer towers, laptops, and/or hard drives that have been removed from computer – $5 or more donation to MFP
• Flatscreen (plasma/LCD/LED/etc.) TVs and monitors – $5 or more donation to MFP
• Tube TVs and CRT* monitors with a screen up to approximately 32 inches – $10 or more donation to MFP
• Tube TVs and CRT* monitors with a screen over 32 inches – $20 or more donation to MFP
• TV consoles, projection, or wood cased/floor model screens – $25 or more donation to MFP

*CRT stands for cathode ray tube.  CRT monitors have a large casing that extends beyond the monitor or TV and is virtually everything that is not a flat screen TV or monitor.

Pay by Cash (preferably) or Check; checks made payable to UNMC.

Electronics** without a required donation:

• Audio equipment
• Cameras
• Cell phones
• CD/DVD drives and players
• Children’s toys (that require a battery or plug in)
• Cords and cables
• Data storage devices
• Fitness trackers
• Gaming equipment (e.g. Playstation/X Box)
• Hand held devices
• Humidifiers/Dehumidifiers
• iPods and MP3 players
• Keyboards and mice
• Lamps
• Microwaves, remove glass turntable
• Modems
• PDAs
• Personal printers (remove ink/toner)
• Routers
• Servers
• Stereos and/or speakers
• Telephones and associated materials
• Vacuums

**List is not all inclusive, merely a guide.  If you have questions on a specific item, please contact LiveGreen@unmc.edu

Techno Trash will also be collected for destruction and recycling.  Items must be separate from electronics and paper.  Techno Trash collected:

• CDs/DVDs (please remove and recycle plastic cases before drop-off, they are not shredded with the discs)
• Computer disks; floppy, 3.5” hard, or Zip disks (please remove and recycle plastic cases before drop-off, they are not shredded)
• VHS tapes (please remove and recycle cardboard covers before drop-off, they can be recycled in your curbside bin)

Personal, single use/alkaline batteries will also be collected for recycling.  This includes AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V batteries that can only be used once.  Common brands are Duracell and Energizer.  If batteries are corroded/leaking, place them in a clear plastic bag prior to drop-off.

We will not accept watch/button batteries or car batteries.  We cannot collect rechargeable batteries of any size.  Rechargeable batteries can be recycled for free through Under the Sink as well as most Interstate Battery, Lowes Home Improvement, and Home Depot stores, and car batteries can be recycled through many car part/service stores.  Check individual locations prior to drop off.

Bringing rechargeable batteries will result in us not being to collect any batteries for recycling in the future, so check them before you bring them.

Eye Glass Collection

LiveGreen will collect gently used eyeglasses at this event.  We will take them to UNMC Ophthalmology where they will be given to patients at free monthly clinics.

Pop Tab Collection

LiveGreen will also collect pop tabs to take to the Ronald McDonald House.  They use pop tabs to help pay the bills, so families can stay together while children receive medical care.

We are not able to accept:

• Light bulbs/fluorescent lights*
• Glass^
• Tires
• Appliances
• Medication**
• Other miscellaneous/non-electric items

*CFLs can be recycled for free at Lowes Home Improvement or Home Depot stores.

^Glass can be recycled for free at several Keep Omaha Beautiful locations, City of Omaha drop-off locations, as well as Target and Whole Foods.

**Three Nebraska Medicine outpatient pharmacies collect medication year-round at no cost.

Frequently Asked Questions:

If I bring an item that requires a recycling fee, how do I pay?

For items that have a fee associated with them, you can pay by cash or check when you drop off the items.  Checks should be made payable to UNMC.

Where do I bring these items?

We will be in Annex 23 (Grounds Dept.) in parking lot 17, which is immediately north of Broncos.  The address is 4650 Jones St. and a map can be found by clicking here.

Will someone be available to help unload my car if I have a heavy/awkward item?

Yes!  This year attendees will not be allowed to exit their vehicles.  Volunteers from LiveGreen will unload everything.  Want to volunteer?  Email LiveGreen@unmc.edu

What happens if there is bad weather?

This event will take place rain or shine.  We have a covered area for unloading to protect against the elements.

If I bring a computer or hard drive, will it be destroyed?

Yes.  All hard drives are shredded at the recycler’s site prior to recycling.

Can I bring equipment from work to recycle?

No. This event is only for your personal, household electronic equipment.  All work items need to be surplused through your department; this is free to your department and items are still recycled.