Students living in residence halls will no longer have an excuse to walk by empty blue bins marked plastic, paper and glass.
The Residence Halls Association begins its recycling program today, available in all the residence halls on campus. This is the first time the program has been implemented this year.
Emily Knoblock, RHA’s recycling director, said the organization negotiated a contract with Grand Rapids-based Waste Management on Oct.15.
Knoblock said the contract with Waste Management will run until the end of the school year.
The recycled pickups will cost RHA about $1,890 per month. The expenses will be paid by RHA’s recycling budget.
“Our main goal is to increase the amount of recycling we collect,” she said. “Last year we collected about 50 or 60 tons of recycled material.”
Knoblock said there are five paid positions in the recycling program.
There are four complex coordinators in charge of overseeing that the residence halls designated in their complex are effectively picking up the recycling bins.
Knoblock also added each residence hall has a volunteer that acts as the recycling director.
The director’s main responsibility is to get the word out to students on recycling and see that recycled goods are getting picked up.
There are about 25 volunteers involved in the program.
Recycling pickup occurs every Tuesday.
Brandi Mroczek, East Complex recycling coordinator in Akers Hall, said RHA’s involvement with the program over the last few years has increased student awareness of recycling.
“I think that everyone is aware of it,” she said.
“Students have been calling and wondering when the program begins.”
Knoblock said the number of bins per residence hall varies depending on a number of factors.
Residence halls with compactor rooms usually can accommodate a bin per floor.
She also said a lot of the older residence halls don’t have compactors, so they only have a few bins.
Lindsay Havlick, a member of the environmental student group ECO, said the effectiveness of the recycling program depends on student involvement.
“I think it is a great thing,” she said.
“They could probably do more, but students need to care more about recycling.”
Rebel Smith, an agricultural science senior living in McDonel Hall, said he is aware of the program but has never been an active participant because the recycling bin in his hall is located on the other side of the building.
“I know it exists, but I’ve never actually seen the blue bins,” he said.
“The recycling bin is out of the way of the trash chute, and it’s just easier to throw stuff away in the trash chute.”
