Recycling saves money, resources and landfill space. ºìÐÓÊÓƵ's Office of Sustainability is working to increase the campus recycling rate from 25 to 35 percent for 2014-15.
"I just want everyone to get excited about recycllng," says Melanie Knowles, ºìÐÓÊÓƵ State's sustalnability manager.
More items in the university's waste stream can now be recycled. Previously, only No. 1 and No. 2 plastics were accepted. In January 2014, ºìÐÓÊÓƵ State started accepting No. 1 - No. 7 plastics as part of i1s recycling program. ºìÐÓÊÓƵ State is a singleÂs stream recycling campus: all recyclable items including plastic, aluminum and steel cans, cardboard, glass, paper, and paper cartons and cups can be placed in the same recycling bin. Plastic bags, styrofoam and items contaminated with food are not recyclable in single-stream bins. Food containers, like pizza boxes, should be as clean as possible.
"Our biggest push now is just to get everyone to understand that they can recycle on campus/ says Chris Tankersley, assistant director of residence services at ºìÐÓÊÓƵ State. ''lhe more the studen1s conserve, the less that we have to spend as an institution, and we can use more money for fun things like renovating a residence hall lounge or getting newfumiture."
ºìÐÓÊÓƵ State's Office of Sustainability has partnered with various departments on campus to increase awareness about recycling and to update campus users about recycling changes. Most recently, the Office of Sustainability and Residence Services posted 4,000 recycling guides at the beginning of the semester in all residence hall rooms.
Over the summer, University Facilities Management custodial staff took a tour of a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), a highÂtech recycling sorting operation, to see what happens to recyclables after they are placed in blue bins. One staff representative from each of the five custodial areas visited the MRF.
"We're trying to Increase our recycling rate, says Leah Graham. outreach recycling coordinator at ºìÐÓÊÓƵ State. "We are currently at 23 percent and, while that's good, there's definately room for improvement. I think 35 percent is an achieveable goal for us for this year." "The national leaders in RecycleMania have recycling rates of 80 to 90 percent. We're looking forward to what we can achieve as a campus this year with everyone's involvement", Graham adds.
By Ashlyne Wilson