Labels like this one are being applied to recycling bins on the UM Coral Gables campus as part of Green U’s efforts to ramp up its single-stream recycling program.

Hundreds of recycle bins on the University of Miami’s Coral Gables campus are getting a new look: the addition of colorful, illustrated labels that let students, employees, and visitors know which items may be placed inside of the bins and those that shouldn’t.

“They’re a great informational tool to let everyone know how and what to recycle,” said Ian McKeown, UM’s sustainability coordinator, noting that the labels also include a QR code that links to a list of frequently asked questions on the University’s Green U website.

The new orange and green labels are being introduced as UM beefs up its single-stream recycling program, adding more recycle bins outside and inside buildings and posting tips and educational notices on recycling and its benefits. (Single-stream recycling is a system in which paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, aluminum, and glass can all be placed in a single bin or cart, instead of having to be sorted.)

For now, the improved single-stream recycling program is being rolled out on the Coral Gables campus only, but eventually new bins, labels, and educational notices will be introduced on the Miller School of Medicine and Rosenstiel School campuses, helping the University achieve consistency in its sustainability efforts.

One significant change that has already occurred on the medical campus is the introduction of Antos Environmental as the pollution prevention and waste stream management consultant for the UHealth system. The Hillsdale, New York-based company works with hospitals to design and implement green initiatives. “This will help lower the cost of waste management and disposal, ensure regulatory compliance, and aid in saving the environment,” said McKeown.

UM’s Green U initiative launched in 2005 with the goal of increasing sustainability efforts throughout the University and encouraging faculty, staff, and students to be stewards of the environment.