By Cassady Jeremias
On-line Forty-Niner

With Earth Day still weeks away, there is no shortage of events planned to get people involved with the environment.
 
One event is the Associated Students Inc. Recycling Center’s second recycling competition, which begins April 1, and goes through the month. The first competition, in conjunction with the A.S.I. Conservation Commission, was held in November and brought in more than 2,500 pounds of material from groups participating on campus.
 
“The goal of these competitions is very much a way to raise awareness and provide fund raising for the groups participating, as well as to encourage student involvement in aspects of A.S.I.,” said Kirsten Stava, A.S.I. recycling coordinator.
 
The winner last year was Alpha Omicron Pi. The competition was among only six groups ranging from the Campus Crusade for Christ to the On-line Forty-Niner.
 
This semester prizes will likely be different due to new sponsors. Last year’s winners received everything from massages to condoms. Anyone, including unofficial organizations can participate in the competition.
 
“If you wanted to get together with your roommates and call yourself ‘The Sparkies’ then that would be fine. Anyone can get together,” said Dana Lebental A.S.I. assistant conservation commissioner.
 
The Recycling Center also sells commuter mugs for $3.50. The mugs can be refilled with beverages all over campus at a 10 percent discount. It can be used on beer at The Nugget, soda at the Outpost or coffee at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Lebental said. The discount is good for an entire year.
 
Also, the 30-minute beach cleanup in Long Beach gets students involved in cleaning up the coast. The cleanup has been going on rain or shine every third Saturday for the past five years, and is a great way for those who have just a little time to get involved, said coordinator Justin Rudd. Anyone can participate between 10 and 10:30 a.m. at the beach at the end of Granada Avenue.
 
“Every little bit of help goes far,” Rudd said. “You’ll be amazed at how much is picked up in half an hour.”
 
Volunteers will be given a plastic bag and a glove, donated by the Long Beach Department of Parks and Recreation.
 
He said keeping the environment clean is important for more than just aesthetic reasons, but also for the safety of children who play on the beach and animals who mistake trash for food.  His advice for students who want to get involved is to start slow.
 
“People that go out and volunteer for four hours every Saturday will get burnt out, but everyone has a half an hour,” he said.
 
The Adopt a Highway Litter Removal Service of America recently started a new program in Long Beach called Adopt a Street. The program allows corporate sponsors to pay a fee to have the litter removed from by the Litter Removal Service. Long Beach was one of the first in the country to have the program dedicated to city streets, which started about a year ago, said Melinda Centner, CEO of the Adopt a Highway program. So far about 15 to 20 streets in Long Beach have been adopted, Centner said.
 
Sponsoring a street in Long Beach costs about $150 a month and a one time start up fee. The fee includes a sign with the company’s name to be posted on the adopted street.

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