Recycling survives it's 30th

As it goes into its 30th year in business, Cal State Long Beach's Associated Students Inc. Recycling Center celebrates, and holds proud to its tradition of keeping the campus clean and environmentally sound.

The recycling center opened in 1970, corresponding with the world's first official Earth Day, said Fred Sanchez, the A.S.I's director of administrative services.

"Long Beach State has the first and largest recycling program on a campus in the state of California," Sanchez said.

The center picks up material from recycling bins and offices on campus, where 140 tons of paper is collected each school year, Sanchez said.

In addition, the center also accepts material, like glass bottles, aluminum cans and all types of plastic, from the community. Every year, the center collects 2.6 million pounds of material, Sanchez said.

"We get a bunch of customers," said senior marine biology major, Alvin Alejandrino, the center's manager. "We get a lot of support from the community."

The reason the center is so successful is, in part, because neighboring cities, such as Lakewood, do not have facilities like this, Alejandrino said.

Another contributing factor to the mass amounts of material the center receives is its special student reimbursement.

For instance, if students bring in aluminum cans and show their student identification card, they will receive $1 a pound, whereas a member from the community only receives 85 cents.

Alejandrino, who started working at the center two years ago, said he is very happy that he has a job that provides such a service for the community. Although the work is hard and physically strenuous at times, it is the best job he's had so far.

"Getting things done is an accomplishment in itself," Alejandrino said. "There's something about this place that becomes part of you."