Students can celebrate the end of another semester of classes and the upcoming holidays by recycling all of their old notebooks, papers and binder-ready books in bins placed around campus.
The recycling bins are a project sponsored by the Business Honors Program Sustainability Committee in partnership with Ancillary Services. This is the second year the bins have been used.
The initiative is part of an overall effort by the campus to operate greenly. Lauren Byrd, vice president of the BHP, said the project was an idea put forth by Ancillary Services in an effort to seek out student assistance for recycling efforts.
“The original thought was, ‘when do students throw away the most paper?’ Of course we want to get rid of our notes as soon as we can once the semester is over, so the recycling efforts came from that idea,” Byrd said.
Last year, the group’s bins collected 414 pounds of paper and hopes to increase that amount to 600 this year. The group wants to collect 725 pounds of paper at the end of spring semester, which they hope to do by spreading the word to students.
“It’s just as easy to toss the paper into a trash can as it is to toss their paper into a bin that says ‘Finals Clean-Out’ on it, so pass the trash and go for the bins,” Byrd said.
The group’s focus is on spreading environmental awareness throughout the year, with many events during Green Week, and on April 18: Sustainability Day. During the week, the group will be located at the Ferguson Center Plaza with educational trivia on sustainability as well as helpful tips for students interested in recycling.
Michala Moses, a senior majoring in nursing, thinks the bins are a great addition to UA’s recycling program.
“We recycle in our house, but my roommate does most of it,” Moses said. “I think we recycle everything but glass.”
Moses wasn’t aware of the bins but thinks it’s a step in the right direction.
After recycling all those old papers, Alicia Browne, associate director for information and communications for Housing and Residential Communities, advises students to take special care when leaving for home.
“Most residence halls close during break, and those buildings are locked when the residents leave, so no one has access to them,” Browne said. “We strongly encourage residents to be sure that their doors are locked and all windows closed when they leave. This is true for on-campus and off-campus residents.”
Students should take care to throw out any opened packages of food or drink so as not to attract pests, she said. Make sure all windows and doors are locked and blinds are shut as well.
Students living off campus are encouraged to leave a light on somewhere in the house or apartment, some housing offers timers for lights. Any newspapers that are delivered to the doorstep should be cancelled for the holiday.
Any decorations showing that the inhabitants of the house are students should be taken down. Browne also encourages students to carry any small, portable valuables home with them for their stay.
