Janet Ashton filled her car at least three times with everything from used furniture, wood, Styrofoam, paper to be shredded and scrap metal she had been saving for a year to donate in the annual Project Pride recycling event.
On Saturday, East Lansing residents brought all types of reusable or recyclable items to the Abbott Center, 1400-1500 Abbot Road.
“Any time I can put less waste into a landfill and any time I can reduce, reuse and recycle, I will,” Ashton, said.
Every year, new items are added to the list of acceptable recyclables, and this year eyeglasses, green glass bottles and unwanted medications were included.
“So often people don’t know how to get rid of medications,” volunteer and East Lansing resident Alice Martin said.
Martin was one of more than 100 volunteers who helped East Lansing residents unload their donations or recyclables.
Volunteer Koreco Webster said he heard about Project Pride through professors and decided to help out, and the event exceeded his expectations.
“Nothing better than community service on a Saturday,” Webster, a mechanical engineering junior, said. “I didn’t know so many people would be out here.”
As the environmental specialist with the city of East Lansing, helping to coordinate Project Pride for the past 15 years is a part of Dave Smith’s responsibilities, but feels the event is more than just a part of his a job.
“I also enjoy coming here. The same volunteers come every year,” Smith said. “Beyond my job it’s rewarding.”
Smith said the event brings in about 50 tons of material every year, and the money that comes from the items that can be sold goes toward paying for the event, and any extra is donated back to the city.
Smith said the scrap metal can bring in from $1,000 to $2,000.
In May, the city of East Lansing used some leftover money from past Project Prides to put three new recycling containers on Grand River Avenue. Smith said the city has also installed other items, such as trees and park benches in the past.
Those who were not capable of bringing their recyclables to the event without some help had the option of curbside pickup.
“They actually go to the seniors’ homes and bring (the items) here for recycling,” East Lansing resident Kelly Arndt said. “Talk about a community who really reaches out to the residents.”
Susan Schmidt, coordinator of Project Pride and East Lansing resident said the annual event on Saturday was one of the best she has been a part of.
“The great thing about this event is if you drive around you see people from (ages) 14 to 80,” Schmidt said. “You are doing something for
the environment.”
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