Recycling is one of the best methods for waste management that is simple and affordable for students. Recyclable goods can be plastic, paper, bottles, cans, metals, cardboard, batteries and even food.
The University’s Recycling Center is responsible for the more than 1,500 recycling collection points located around campus. Oftentimes, it is easy to forget that the green bins strategically placed around campus are not there for efficiency but rather in an effort to control our waste stream.
The Recycling Center was founded by a group of students in 1991 who were adamant about controlling the waste stream on campus.
“People have taken ownership of this program,” program manager Karyn Kaplan said. “This program is built on the energy of the students.”
The Recycling Center is funded by student incidental fees, the University administration, University Housing and the revenue generated from recycled paper.
In 1991, the Recycling Center was collecting 10 percent of the University waste stream in recyclable goods, now the program is recovering 40 percent, Kaplan said. This increase can be contributed to the increase of recycling points around campus, and the increased awareness of the impact that we have on the preservation of the earth.
Currently, Americans throw away 260 million trees worth of paper every year, she said. The need to change our habits about environmental awareness is being addressed.
“People are becoming more progressive and are noticing their impact on the earth,” said Pete Chism, student recycling coordinator. By simply recycling paper and other recyclable goods, we can save energy and cause a reduction in acid rain, global warming and air pollution, he said.
Kaplan says that while recycling does help to curb the problem of the increasing waste stream, it is not the only solution
“There are many ways that we can reduce our waste,” she said. Some small ways that can add up big are to buy packages with minimal packaging, use cloth bags when at the grocery store and avoid products that are not recyclable.
“One of the biggest contributors to waste that I see on this campus is coffee cups that are left on the ground,” said Dylan Darling, a junior journalism major.
The Recycling Center stresses that student involvement in the recycling program offers tremendous job and leadership opportunities.
“This job offers students not just a job but learning opportunity,” Kaplan said.
The Student Recycling Program offers an array of opportunities for students and employs a student staff of 45 to collect the recycled material. Jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities are all available through the Recycling Center.
The recycling program is involved in the University Recycling Council, which was organized in 1992 as an information exchange between universities in the Northwest quadrant to learn more about waste reduction, recycling and waste management issues.
Through this council, the Student Recycling Program has expanded its knowledge to help the University become one of the most active recycling campuses in the United States. Darling emphasized that everyday changes can make a significant difference in the recycling effort.
“The key is to learn the guidelines and rules of recycling,” Darling said. “By simply using a refillable coffee cup and recycling the paper we use on a daily basis, we can help control the waste stream”
With Earth Day arriving Saturday, the Recycling Center is working in a joint effort with the Survival Center to help stress the importance of recycling.
The theme of this year’s Earth Day celebration is “Solutions” with an emphasis on sustainable living and presentations on recycling and reducing consumption.
Center rejuvenates awareness
Daily Emerald
April 20, 2000
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