Recycling
on the rise at CSULB
By Allison Baldwin
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
The campus recycling program has seen a monumental increase in recycling rates
for materials of all kinds. According to Associated Students Inc. Recycling Coordinator
Kirsten Stava, the ASI Recycling Center has seen an increase in the intake of
beverage containers from 800 pounds a month to nearly one ton per month over
the past three years.
“ [We are] doubling about every year now in quantity,” Stava said.
The state-certified center, in operation since 1970, offers a location for people
both on- and off-campus to redeem cans, plastic bottles and glass. Other materials,
like cardboard, paper and cell phones, are accepted as well. PETE No. 1 plastic
containers (like water bottles) comprise 75 percent of the center’s intake.
Because plastics weigh less than materials like aluminum, the dramatic increase
in recyclables is even more remarkable.
The recycling center is visited by more than 4,000 people each month. Some come
for the redemption money, which ranges from 8 cents per pound of glass bottles
to $1.24 per pound of aluminum cans turned in.
ASI sponsors recycling competitions among on-campus organizations to promote
student participation in the program; the
Women’s Studies Student Association won the $250 top prize for the fall
2005 semester.
There are many students who recycle to prevent excess waste production.
“ I try to be environmentally friendly,” said senior economics student
Hayley Brandt. “I think it’s important for us to keep our campus
clean and to be aware of where we throw our trash.”
One contributing factor to the rapid increase in recycling is the increased availability
of recycling containers on campus. There are recycling bins located in the residence
commons as well as boxes for bottles and cans in classrooms. Pyramid-topped bins
earmarked for recycling beverage containers are becoming more prominent on campus
as well. There are approximately 60 bins on campus as part of a grant, with about
two-thirds of them located on upper campus.
The University Student Union is one of the most saturated locations on campus,
with the barrels placed strategically in areas with the highest concentrations
of students.
Forty new bins are expected to be introduced in the coming year. The new containers
will be distributed throughout the parking lots and at shuttle stops to encourage
recycling by commuters. Many on campus hope placement of more recycling bins
will inspire more students to recycle.
“ People recycle if they have an option,” Stava said. “They’ll
do it if there is a bin there. It sounds simple, but it’s true.”
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