Next semester, The University of Alabama will become a little greener.
In January, the Student Government Association will launch a new campaign called RecycleBama in an effort to promote student recycling on and off campus. The idea for RecycleBama was conceived by College of Arts and Sciences Senator Sam Gerard, a sophomore majoring in history and political science, and College of Commerce and Business Administration Senator Andrew Gross, a sophomore majoring in business.
Gerard said the purpose of the program is not only to increase resources for recycling across campus, but also to increase student use of these resources.
“Our main drive was to educate students on how to recycle, what they can recycle, and educate them on the recycling that’s being done on campus already,” Gross said. “There’s already a significant amount, but no one knows about it.”
Gerard and Gross plan to spread awareness through the implementation of a series of public awareness events, speaker seminars and other similar projects, which will begin with a tabling campaign at the beginning of next semester. This campaign will focus on spreading information about the recycling resources already available to students and general tips for recycling.
Emma Buchalter, a senior in New College focusing on human-environmental relations and the Focus the Nation Chair for UA Environmental Council, said these resources are already plentiful.
“The recycling department at Alabama is really great,” Buchalter said. “It has made huge strides even within the past half-decade in terms of how much they take in.”
Since 2005, the University’s recycling program has become recognized as one of the most ambitious in the South. From October 2011 through April 2012, the program recycled over 1.3 million pounds of waste.
Ultimately, Gross and Gerard said the goal of RecycleBama will be to extend beyond communities on campus. Their primary target, in hopes of long-run effects, will be freshmen, who will then, according to Gross, carry the habit of recycling into future years and off-campus housing. This push will begin with the freshman dorms.
“If we can implant that message in their minds freshman year – the benefits of recycling – then that’s where the community-wide recycling effort takes place,” Gross said. “It’s with those students who are now seniors, living in the actual community – and maybe even further on in life – wanting to continue recycling.”
In the long-run, Gross and Gerard said they hope to have the funding to provide off-campus recycling and to hand out individual trays to desiring students for their dorms. They aim to eventually coordinate with the city and put more effort toward awareness and projects focusing on better organization of Tuscaloosa waste management.
To sustain this vision, Gerard and Gross have created the RecycleBama committee from members of the SGA, the Environmental Council and other motivated students.
The committee will also focus on making the campus more eco-friendly through the placement of strategically located bins. Gerard said RecycleBama will push to have new bins placed mainly in accessible areas in academic buildings. It aims to match one recycle bin for each trash can.
Joey Crowell, a senior majoring in computer science, said for college students to recycle, it must be as easy as possible for them.
“It seems to be an afterthought for most people. I think most people will drop off their… recycling if it’s handy, but most people won’t really do it if it’s not convenient,” Crowell said.
In terms of funding, the SGA and the Office of Financial Affairs will divide the expenses roughly in half. Alumni and student organizations will have the opportunity to donate one of or part of one of the larger bins on campus in exchange for a plaque on the bin. Financial Affairs will also take care of the logistics.
“We want to get the message out that recycling is a very easy task to take part in,” Gerard said. “It’s a very easy way to give back to the planet and make The University of Alabama a more beautiful place.”
