Recycling at NOVA
The College recycles a lot of different items:
The College Vehicle Repair Shop and the automotive programs at Alexandria and Manassas recycle fluids, like oil, transmission, power steering, hydraulic, brake, diesel, gasoline and anti freeze/coolant, oil based and/or automotive paints, batteries, tires, scrap metal and miscellaneous “hard parts” (items such as water pumps, alternators and window motors).
The Alexandria photography program annually does silver recovery/recycling.
Fluorescent light tubes are classified by EPA as universal wastes, along with electronics, lead batteries and aerosol cans. Spent bulbs are recycled through USA Lights, a company in Hyattsville, Maryland. Staff at NOVA bulk package the bulbs as they are replaced during the maintenance process, after which they are shipped to USA Lights. There, the bulbs are crushed under controlled conditions to extract the mercury, which is recycled along with the aluminum end caps. Ballasts are significantly less toxic than in past years, when ballasts contained polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Non-functioning ballasts are also recycled by USA Lights.
Toner cartridges from photocopy machines can also be recycled. All new HP toner cartridges contain a USP–ARS label inside the carton with the new cartridge. When employees are replacing an empty cartridge with a new one, all they have to do is pull out the UPS-ARS label, put the old cartridge back in the carton, tuck the flaps, place the USPS-ARS label on the outside of the carton and send it to the P&DS operation at the warehouse. UPS will return the old cartridge to HP at no charge to NOVA.
White paper and cardboard recycling is also important. This program has been in effect for many years but needs to be made more reliable and efficient. A top priority of the Green Committee over the coming year is to develop an effective College-wide program for the recycling of paper and beverage containers.