Bulk and Special Waste Disposal

Columbia University Facilities is responsible for removing and disposing of all bulk and specialty waste on the Morningside campus.

 

While the removal of bulk and special waste is a chargeable service to all requesting departments, the actual disposal of it is part of the common cost borne by all university departments.

Examples of bulk and special waste include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Office Furniture (desks, chairs, lamps, tables, file cabinets, shelving)
  • Appliances (kitchen ovens & stovetops, refrigerators, air conditioners, washers, dryers)
  • Specialty Lab Equipment (cage washers, autoclaves, science kilns)
  • Computer Equipment (CPUs, monitors, printers, UPS [uninterrupted power supplies])
  • All lightbulbs, batteries, & ballasts
  • Large amounts of paper (old files, waste paper)

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

  1. Access to the Grove recycling and waste collection area is limited to Operations staff only.
  2. For reasons of environmental safety, disposal procedures vary according to the types of items being discarded:
  • Appliances such as air conditioners and refrigerators must have their environmentally-hazardous refrigerants (CFCs, freon, etc) removed by Facilities HVAC staff before they are discarded. Contact your Service Representative to arrange for special disposal of these items.
  • All computer equipment, including "screen"-type items such as monitors and TV sets, are disposed of separately from other waste.
  • Metal furniture items (shelving, file cabinets etc.)and waste paper can usually be sent to recycling facilities.