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Sustainability

Waste and Recycling

Recycling

BYU recycles office paper, newspaper, cardboard, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans, as well as industrial scrap material, such as steel, insulated wire, concrete, and asphalt—about 1,400 tons of paper, plastic and metal per year. BYU also safely collects and recycles potential pollutants, including used oil and grease, batteries, refrigerants, computer components, fluorescent lights, and chemical waste. BYU's comprehensive and efficient recycling program saves the university tens of thousands of dollars in disposal costs and generates revenue from the sale of recycled commodities. Visit the BYU Physical Facilities for details.

Composting

BYU runs a closed-loop composting program where all grass, leaves and branches on campus are gathered, chipped, and composted to be used again as mulch in shrub and flower beds or as an organic component for our engineered soils. We also compost food waste from dining halls, wood from theatrical and television sets and scrap wood from construction projects. We compost approximately 2,000 tons of material each year.

Students and staff may drop off domestic food waste at collection bins at the east entrance of the BYU Greenhouse located at 100 East 820 North, just west and south of Kiwanis Park.

  • Plant matter—no non-food items, please
  • Food waste—no meat, dairy, or grease
  • No plastic bags, please
  • If a vegan can eat it, so can the bin!

Surplus, reuse, and recovery

BYU Surplus helps redistribute, resell, recycle, and repurpose furniture, vehicles, electronics, capital equipment, and other non-capital equipment. It regularly holds sales and auctions that are open to the public.

VEHICLES

Vehicles are auctioned to the public by BYU Surplus.
CARPET
BYU has recycled a million pounds of carpet since 2016, returning these materials to the manufacturer, Tarkett, for processing into new products.

FURNISHINGS

When furnishings from classrooms, offices, or student housing are occasionally replaced, BYU works with Deseret Industries, a network of almost 50 thrift stores owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU's sponsoring institution. These donations are spaced out and spread out so as not to overwhelm any one store at any one time.

Furnishings are also donated, or sold for pennies on the dollar, to Utah school districts, charter schools, and private schools, as coordinated by BYU Purchasing.

ELECTRONICS

Computers and other electronics are refurbished or dissembled for base elements by TAMS, a computer recycler. Consumer batteries are collected and recycled from a central location in the BYU Library.

METAL, WOOD, TEXTILES

When furnishings and other materials cannot be donated or sold, they are dismantled at BYU and separated by material: steel, metal, wood, plastic, and upholstery. The metal is sold locally to Western Metals Recycling.

Untreated wood is chipped and mixed with green waste to produce mulch that is used in campus landscaping.

Plastic and upholstery go to a landfill only after other industries, such as local furniture manufacturers, have taken what they can use. Historically, BYU has partnered with REVEST, an office furniture refurbishment company.

BICYCLES

Bicycles are donated to the Provo Bicycle Collective, a non-profit that refurbishes bikes for people in need.

INSTRUMENTS, SOUND EQUIPMENT

In 2022, a BYU pipe organ was acquired by a start-up music academy, while BYU's performance organ, including speakers and amplifier arrays, was sold to a college.

Printing

Serving BYU, the Missionary Training Center, the Church Educational System, and the public, employees of BYU Print and Mail take care to consider their environmental impact. They use biodegradable ink made from natural vegetable sources and alkaline paper made with a mixture of wood pulp from tree farms and recycled content; no rain forests or other forests are harvested to produce the paper that BYU purchases. Additionally, all harsh solutions have been eliminated from the printing process. To prevent waste, Print and Mail employees use “print on demand” digital technology. All remaining paper—trimmings, grindings, and any unused, unsold products—are recycled by BYU Recycling staff. The aluminum printing plates used on BYU’s presses are also recycled, a process that uses less energy than refining aluminum for new plates.

Materials and Products

BYU uses modular carpeting on campus that wastes 12% less carpet than the typical “roll”. This carpet is less toxic than alternative options, and maximizes reuse and recycling of process waste in order to reduce its landfill impact. Additionally, this product can be recycled at the end of its useful life. It can also be more effectively reused in the event damage occurs as single tiles can easily be replaced. Early in the design process, the design team identifies opportunities to incorporate salvaged materials into new facilities. The cleaning products used on campus are “Clean” by Peroxy, and Bio-Renewable Glass Cleaner. We use microfiber rags, dusters, and window washing equipment, as well as Hepa, certified vacuums. Touchless soap and paper towel dispensers are installed in the Marriott Center and Lavell Edwards Stadium.