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Stanford
Sustainable Stanford

Waste Standards

Waste System Standards

Just as water and energy flow through pipes and transmission lines, materials flow through a building through a system of standardized infrastructure. Bins serve as the entry point of the pipes and transmission lines. Establishing waste standards is key to developing systems to maximize waste reduction, recycling, and composting. Learn how Stanford uses standards to create a wastless community.

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Design Guidelines

Stanford’s Facilities Design Guidelines outline the campus standards for waste infrastructure and provide guidance for new construction and remodeling to ensure compliance with state laws related to waste management.

Facility Design Guidelines

Designing for Behavior Change

Waste system standards are essential for creating and maintaining the infrastructure that supports the university’s journey toward zero waste. 

Stanford’s interior collection standards are designed to provide convenient access to recycling and composting and to encourage proper waste sorting. Together, these standards not only streamline the sorting process but also encourage positive behavior change, making it easier for our community to contribute to a more sustainable campus.

Academic Buildings

Trio of waste bins, from left to right recycling, compost, and landfill.

Shared waste stations

In the majority of academic buildings on campus, individuals are responsible for bringing personal waste to a shared waste station in a common area. Waste is not picked up from individual offices. Custodians service the shared waste stations daily. Key components of Stanford’s interior waste collection system include:

  • Color-coded bins & liners - blue for recycling, green for compost, gray for landfill
  • Equal (no stand-alone bins) - every landfill bin is paired with a recycling bin and a compost bin (if located in an area where food is generated)
  • Strategically located - shared waste stations are located throughout a building based on traffic and the type and flow of materials
  • Labeled & branded 
  • Individual vs. custodial responsibility of deskside waste
A single-stream recycling bin with flattened cardboard next to it

Single Stream Recycling

All recyclables (glass, paper, plastic, and metal) are collected together in blue bins. Flattened cardboard can be placed in or next to a waste station.

Someone placing a banana peel in the compost.

Compost Collection

Compost bins are located in restrooms, breakrooms, kitchens, and other areas where food is generated, to collect paper towels, food scraps, and compostable foodware.

Student Housing

All undergraduate students are provided with recycling and landfill bins for their living spaces. Compost bins are located in lobbies, kitchenettes, and in restrooms. Additionally, students can request compost bins for their dorm rooms at their Housing Service Centers. Students are required to empty their bins in the waste enclosures. 

Labs

All labs include recycling and landfill bins. Paper towels in labs are not currently collected for compost. 

Public Bins

Public waste bins and waste stations are located throughout campus near cafes and are strategically located to increase access to recycling and composting. 

Enclosures

Waste enclosure outside of Hoover Memorial, dumpsters from left to right landfill, compost, recycle.

All waste enclosures on campus require adequate space for recycling, compost, and landfill dumpsters. Dumpsters are labeled and color-coded (blue for recycling, green for compost, and black for landfill) and must be positioned so that all three streams are visible and accessible. 

Event Bins

Event waste bins from left to right recycle, compost, landfill, with signage attached to help participants sort properly.

Stanford provides recycle, compost, and landfill bins for a fee for special events on campus. Bins are labeled, color-coded, and include associated signs.