Sustainability and recycling are two important concerns at Michigan Tech's. Residents have the unique opportunity to be able to easily recycle paper, metals, and some plastics. IRHC even loans residents an blue recycle bin as an easy way to recycle and also a reminder to recycle rather than throw recyclable items in the trash.
Michigan Tech Resident's were not always able to recycle. Due to the remote location of Michigan Tech and the scarcity of recycling processors in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, recycling was nonexistent until recently. Initially IRHC worked with the university and an external carrier to provide Paper recycling to the Residence Halls. In the Fall of 2008 the University reached an agreement with Waste Management to recycle Paper, metals, and some plastics. Recycling is now single stream (all recyclables can be mixed).