Morehead State University’s Sustainability Committeehas received a Kentucky Pride Recycling grant for $10,701 and a $2,300 donation from G & J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Inc. to purchase 1,250 six-gallon recycling totes for residence hall rooms.
The bins are expected to increase the recycling collection in residence halls and bring more awareness about the benefits of recycling to students living on campus. The idea for the bins came from student suggestions during the spring semester 2015 Recyclemania tournament. Students surveyed said that the bins would encourage them to recycle more by providing an easier way to collect recyclable material and carry it to the designated sorting areas for their buildings.
In addition, the grant and donation provided money for 30 bins designated to collect plastic shopping bags for recycling. The bins are located in all residence hall lobbies and 15 other campus buildings. Plastic shopping bags pollute waterways, endanger wildlife and litter the landscape. Plastic bags are 100 percent recyclable and are frequently made either back into plastic bags or building products such as backyard decks, playground equipment, park benches and fences.
Students also will notice new collection bins in the residence hall lobby areas for recycling household batteries, cell phones, print ink cartridges, pens, pencils and markers.
New recycling information posters have been added to all the residence hall lobby areas and each floors waste rooms. Informational postcards detailing what can be recycled and where to place recycling also were added to each six-gallon recycling bin.
“The recycling rate at MSU has averaged around 10 percent of the total waste stream for the past few years. We know we can to do more recycling because about half of what is going to the landfill could have been recycled,” said Holly Niehoff, MSU’s sustainability and safety specialist and recycling committee chairperson. “We hope that with the addition of the bins and information it will increase student awareness and participation in recycling so MSU can help protect and preserve our environment for future generations.”
Additional information is available by contacting Niehoff at 606-783-2584 or email h.niehoff@moreheadstate.edu.
