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'U' gives crates to increase recycling in residence halls

By Heather Miller
Daily Staff Reporter

In an attempt to increase recycling among students, a pilot program is being offered that distributes recycling crates to students to keep in their residence hall rooms.

The residence halls are now equipped with recycling closets that house bins for paper, cardboard, mixed containers and general waste.

With the new program, students are given a 12 x 12 inch plastic recycling box to collect recyclable materials. When the crates are full, students empty them in the closet down the hall.

The program is funded by University Housing, and 5,000 crates have already been purchased for the program. Grounds and Waste Management Services is distributing 500 of the crates for the pilot.

"We are doing this in hopes of increasing participation in recycling," said Erica Spiegel, recycling coordinator for grounds and waste management services.

Five residence halls have been chosen at random to participate in the program. Involvement is voluntary, and students can receive a crate from a distribution table located outside the residence hall cafeterias.

On Monday, 70 crates were distributed in West Quad, while 100 crates were distributed in Bursley last night. The final crates will be distributed to East Quad, Stockwell and Mosher-Jordan during the week of Feb. 19.

Students who volunteered to participate in the program filled out a registration card so they can be contacted for a survey later in the semester on whether the crates proved to be useful.

"We're doing spot tests now," said Jeff Schroeder, coordinator of management systems within the Department of Housing Facilities.

"I think this will incite a lot more people to do more recycling," said Engineering sophomore Simon Palko.

Engineering senior Chiwei Lee said the crates will be more convenient than carrying recyclables in his arms.

"It's so easy. Why not (participate)?" he said. "I always recycle my cans anyway."

If the program proves to be successful, recycling crates will be offered automatically in all residence hall rooms.

Spiegel said she realizes the participants are people who are already interested in recycling, which may skew survey results. "The only bad thing (about the pilot) is the self-selecting nature of the study group," she said.

Still, she said she believes the program will prove to be successful. "We're pretty sure it'll work," she said.

If the survey results prove positive, Schroeder said he plans to recommend that the crates become part of the items all students receive in their rooms. "The likelihood is good (that crates will be available)," he said.

Larry LaTarte, co-chair of Bursley Environmentally Aware and Responsible, helped to distribute the crates.

"I think recycling is something everybody needs to do," he said. "Even little things like this make people aware."