The Residence Halls Association is looking to sign a new recycling agreement after concerns arose that the former recycling provider neglected to live up to its end of the contract.
The organization claims there were conflicts with national recycling company Waste Management over contract terms and whether materials actually were being recycled.
After five years of contracting with Waste Management, RHA's recycling program, which handles all residence hall recycling, plans to sign an agreement with the MSU Office of Recycling and Waste Management by the end of September.
RHA spokesman Brian Winters said RHA will not renew the contract with Waste Management this school year.
"It's just a matter of the contract being printed," the advertising junior said. "We are definitely going to go with the university."
Instead of recycling glass, plastics, bottles and cans, newspaper and office paper, as in previous years, the Office of Recycling and Waste Management will only handle newspaper recycling.
Officials from MSU's Office of Recycling and Waste Management couldn't be reached for comment Thursday evening.
RHA Adviser George Athanas said the need for a new recycling provider stems from several difficulties RHA officials experienced with Waste Management in the past.
"There were concerns whether everything was getting recycled," he said. "It didn't appear the recycling (RHA) wanted to have happen was taking place."
In addition, Athanas said there were problems with Waste Management's administration.
"It's been difficult working with Waste Management in terms of leaving messages that weren't returned, pickup issues and a number of other problems," he said. "The proposal given by MSU seems like much more of a start."
RHA Recycling Director Marne Gleason also expressed dissatisfaction with the company.
"They didn't hold up their end of the contract," the no-preference sophomore said. "It angers me at even the thought we would spend all this time and money and they wouldn't recycle the materials."
Gleason said he was worried the company was simply throwing recyclables away.
"I'm under the impression that Waste Management just couldn't handle it," he said.
But Ray Tackett, operations manager for Waste Management's Lansing Hauling, 16320 Grove Road, dismissed the accusation that materials weren't being recycled.
"I know for a fact they weren't thrown away," Tackett said. "It would be stupid for us to throw materials away, because it would cost us money."
Tackett said the company only pays for transportation costs when recycling materials, but it also would have to pay landfill expenses to throw the recyclables away.
Regardless of whether recycling took place in the past five years, Gleason said he expects MSU, which charges $3,725 a semester for its services, will live up to its end of the deal.
"I was presented with an agreement from MSU guaranteeing they would recycle," he said.
RHA will continue to provide recycling bins in every residence hall and will use 18 spots throughout campus where the Office of Recycling and Waste Management can pick up old newspapers. Nine pickup zones will be visited per week; each will be attended to bi-weekly.
"This is the starting point," Athanas said. "There's room for improvement.
"I don't think anyone's happy with doing a limited program."
Athanas added that the program's eventual goal of tailoring itself to each residence hall's needs will not be possible without a good deal of cooperation and feedback from the on-campus residents it will be serving.
"The hope is to build up the program with the help of the students," he said. "You can't run a recycling program without community interest, and what works in West Circle might not work in Hubbard Hall."
Dirk VanderHart can be reached at vande227@msu.edu.
