RECYCLING @ RAMAPO: HOW ORDINARY STUDENTS CREATED AN EXTRAORDINARY PROGRAM
| By TJD112 - Jan 11th, 2007 at 12:38 am EST |
In spring of 2005, I was offered a job that I think would change my life. It was for a fledgeling student recycling program that started as a grassroots effort in the upperclassmen apartments.
The situation was like this, much of the recycling that was being put out was contaminated, and studies show that for every 99 people that properly recycle their materials, there is always one person who throws a cheeseburger into the mass bin and ruins the whole load. What the job of being a student recycler entailed was going door-to-door picking up recycling and sifting through it, making sure that it was clean. The reason was because if there was any contamination in the bins, the whole bin would be thrown out.
It started as a project in the Village, which were the senior apartments, in which recycling had become mandatory. By the time I came in, it had expanded to another on-campus apartment complex. Several months into my stay with the program, we decided to expand into the dorm complexes. Students would leave their recycling out and we would come and pick it up once a week, and put them in bins for the local waste management companies to take away. It has proven to be a great success and has been applauded by student government as well as the Dean of Students. We have seen very high participation levels, especially with the freshman students.
With these successes have come obvious challenges, such as the departure of our boss, the many budget cuts pushed through by governor Corzine, and a fire marshall with an agenda. Through this, we have survived.
Many colleges could benefit from Ramapo's example, and a student run recycling program is something that would work very well and help keep the waste stream clean. Here are a few things to consider when setting up a program.
You need a few students who are committed and can do rounds once a week for each dorm.
You need to have a supervisor, especially if you wish to be paid for this job.
You need to know what the local waste management company takes and what is needed.
You need to know how big each dorm is, and how much volume to anticipate each week
You need to start off small, start off with the senior apartments, since they tend to generate a lot more recycling, because more than likely, there will be a kitchen.
Remember these, and you can create a great program at your school. If you ever want more details on how to set up a program, contact me at thdavis@ramapo.edu.
Also, if you want to book me as a speaker at your campus, whether for environmental conferences or other events, I will be willing to go anywhere, as long as travel and appropriate lodging are arranged.
The situation was like this, much of the recycling that was being put out was contaminated, and studies show that for every 99 people that properly recycle their materials, there is always one person who throws a cheeseburger into the mass bin and ruins the whole load. What the job of being a student recycler entailed was going door-to-door picking up recycling and sifting through it, making sure that it was clean. The reason was because if there was any contamination in the bins, the whole bin would be thrown out.
It started as a project in the Village, which were the senior apartments, in which recycling had become mandatory. By the time I came in, it had expanded to another on-campus apartment complex. Several months into my stay with the program, we decided to expand into the dorm complexes. Students would leave their recycling out and we would come and pick it up once a week, and put them in bins for the local waste management companies to take away. It has proven to be a great success and has been applauded by student government as well as the Dean of Students. We have seen very high participation levels, especially with the freshman students.
With these successes have come obvious challenges, such as the departure of our boss, the many budget cuts pushed through by governor Corzine, and a fire marshall with an agenda. Through this, we have survived.
Many colleges could benefit from Ramapo's example, and a student run recycling program is something that would work very well and help keep the waste stream clean. Here are a few things to consider when setting up a program.
You need a few students who are committed and can do rounds once a week for each dorm.
You need to have a supervisor, especially if you wish to be paid for this job.
You need to know what the local waste management company takes and what is needed.
You need to know how big each dorm is, and how much volume to anticipate each week
You need to start off small, start off with the senior apartments, since they tend to generate a lot more recycling, because more than likely, there will be a kitchen.
Remember these, and you can create a great program at your school. If you ever want more details on how to set up a program, contact me at thdavis@ramapo.edu.
Also, if you want to book me as a speaker at your campus, whether for environmental conferences or other events, I will be willing to go anywhere, as long as travel and appropriate lodging are arranged.
!
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