UMass Transitions to Centralized Pick Up for Trash and Recycling

Facilities and Campus Services (F&CS) have transitioned to centralized trash and recycling pick up in all academic, administrative, athletics and research facilities. Office occupants are responsible for taking their office trash and recycling to bins located in public spaces. Custodial services will continue to service trash and recycling bins in all public locations.  Additional bin stations have been added to each floor. Locations of these stations can be viewed on the custodial website.

If you would like to request a small countertop trash bin, additional liners for your office or for your bin to be cleaned, please email askcustodial@umass.edu. If your office is in need of immediate custodial services please call the F&CS Solutions Center at 413-545-6401.

Office occupant participation with centralized trash and recycling pick up stations is a best practice for custodial services. After benchmarking custodial services at UMass with 18 large public universities, Facilities and Campus Services launched a pilot for the Centralized Office Cleaning Program. This program reduces office cleanings to every two weeks and creates centralized trash and recycling pick up stations.

After seeing the program’s success at 400 Venture Way, W.E.B. Du Bois Library and Physical Plant, the decision was made to expand centralized pick up stations to the remainder of campus buildings serviced by F&CS. This change will reduce the amount custodial staff are in personal workspaces and increase service in public spaces and on high touch points.

In addition to the increased focus on public spaces, implementing central pick up stations has been shown to increase overall recycling rates while simultaneously reducing waste. As a sustainability leader and model for communities across the country, the University of Massachusetts is committed to reducing our carbon footprint. Waste reduction is one way every member of the UMass community can help.

Frequently asked questions related to cleaning can be found on the University’s FAQ page under Campus Operations. Additional questions please can be directed to building coordinators.