Columbia University
OP-20: Electronic Waste Recycling Program

All Facilities workers handling potentially hazardous materials are given annual training on how to handle specific wastes, such as electronic wastes. The training includes a technical element and a safety element. Electronic waste is delivered by Facilities (or in certain cases, the departments generating e-waste) to the collection points at each campus. The material is consolidated, placed into shipping containers, manifested, and shipped by a vetted vendor. The vendor’s downstream facilities are scrutinized for environmental, safety and social responsible operations by EH&S prior to signing any contract with vendor.

The University has collection points at each campus for electronic waste generated by the institution. Materials generated institutionally are brought to the Facilities-maintained storage areas for consolidation and disposal through a vetted recycler on a regular schedule. This disposal occurs at least monthly at the NYC campuses and as needed at the satellite campuses. Additionally, the University hosts a semi-annual recycling event at multiple campuses where used electronic waste collection centers are set at the campus level, which generates a large amount of e-waste. University supplied electronic mobile devices are collected for recycling by CUIT. Through Columbia’s Surplus Reuse program, departments can find a matching recipient to receive old working computers to keep them out of the landfill. Computers are matched to other units within Columbia and to local, community organizations partnered with Columbia Community Service. Additionally, several departments have donated computers to various non-profit organizations. Students can drop-off for reuse old working computers less than 5 years old with their power supply 10am-6pm Monday through Friday at 202 Philosophy. Students must first run DBAN to wipe their hard drives before donation.

Students are permitted to dispose of electronic waste through any of the special collection events that occur at the Morningside Campus and Nevis Laboratories several times a year. Additionally, Residential Operations (disposes of electronic waste through the institutional program above) Public Safety has partnered with Verizon Wireless Hopeline that hosts collection points on campus for faculty, staff and students to donate old working cell phones to victims of domestic violence. There is an e-waste recycling bin for small hand-held electronics that’s available 24 hours in Lerner Hall the Student Union.

Additional information on Columbia's Electronic Recycling and Collection Programs: Clean and Go Grean: http://facilities.columbia.edu/clean-go-green#items Give and Go Green: http://housingservices.columbia.edu/content/give-go-green Computer Donations: http://www.environment.columbia.edu/newsandprofiles/columbia-teams-new-york-city-parks-computer-reuse-effort Cellular Phone Recycling: http://cuit.columbia.edu/recycle-your-old-mobile-device Verizon Hopeline Cellular Donations: http://aboutus.verizonwireless.com/communityservice/hopeLine.html CUMC: http://www.mailman.columbia.edu/faculty-staff/faculty-and-staff-resources/extending-lifespan-old-computers