Project Earth, facilities develop recycling program
by Margaret Straling

Stop, do not throw away that Coke can, rather take a look around and dispose it in the recycling bin behind you. Project Earth and campus facilities have distributed new recycling bins around the campus to create a recycling program.

“We have recycle bins at every building,” said UWT Facilities Program Coordinator, Tessa Tanner.

There are bins on almost every floor of each building and each office is assigned a small recycling bin.

“We have worked hard to implement a recycling program,” said Tanner about past difficulties.

Last spring campus facilities went to Project Earth for help.

“They came to us and asked for our help,” said Wyanne Osenga, the environmental committee co-chair. “They needed student backing.”

Only office paper was recycled by LeMay Recycling Company last year and UWT had to pay for their services. At the time the campus only had recycling bins in the offices.

“Last year we wanted to look into the recycling on campus, because containers were not being used or dumped by facilities so we formed a committee for recycling,” said Cindy Tomkins, Project Earth’s president.

“It was the perfect time to start a program so it could grow with the campus,” said recycling committee co-chair and Project Earth Secretary, Michelle Massero. “The Seattle campus has a huge recycling program, it is odd a new campus had hardly anything.”

In September UWT contracted with the City of Tacoma for this service.

“Tacoma has a really good service and they do it for free,” Massero said.

“Students are not aware that there is a phobia of the big blue containers,”said Osenga. “Our focus is to get people to use the bins. We are going to put up posters, and labels out, recycle here.”

“We worked out a plan for getting recycling bins dumped and getting extra containers but people are still not aware of them,” Tomkins said. “We are going to be making up fliers of a map where all recycling containers are and what can and can’t go in.”

Accoring to Massero, they eventually would like permanent locations with signs to make people aware of what can go in the bins besides glass and cardboard.

“We want student to help minimize the amount of garbage on campus,” Massero said. “We pay for the garbage to be taken away and sit in a landfill, recycling is picked up for free and it is reused.”

“Students can put anything in the recycling bins expect for cardboard, solid food packages and glass,” said Tanner.

The City of Tacoma separates all the recycling pricked up and then sells it over seas.

Although many are not aware of the recycling efforts put forth by Project Earth and facilities, the program is already effective in reducing garbage on campus.

“We have reduced a lot of trash and increased the space of bumping by at least a week,” said Tanner.

Project Earth’s recycling effortd have been recognized and supported from the students and staff.

“Facilities has been really helpful, they are looking to us for help, we are there to support them,” said Maseru. “Steve Atkinson, Senator in Student Government and President of Urban Studies has been a great help too.”

“The professors, and other student organizations are also supportive of the recycling program,” Osenga said. “But we really are taking baby steps.”

Although UWT’s recycling program has advanced there is still room for improvements.

“The City of Tacoma does not recycle glass but it is hard to get it done with them or anyone else,” said Tanner.

Although students would like recycling bins in every room there is not enough staff to empty them.

“The janitorial staff is shorthanded,” said Tanner. “We can not put them on every floor and get them taken care of.”

In the future facilities and Project Earth would like the school to purchase a compactor for cardboard. The increased size of the campus and library are producing more cardboard waste then previously.

“We could make money with a cardboard compactor,” Tanner said.

Last spring Tanner took a trip to Pacific Lutheran University to observe their recycling program.

“PLU has a huge recycling program performed by work- study students,” Tanner said. “I was very impressed and would like to implement some of the format and process as they do.”

“We would like a committed area for recycling with a compactor for cardboard,” Osenga said. “Hopefully we can create enough demand that it will happen at UWT too.”

“Think about where you are putting it before you drop it, do not put it in the trash,” said Tomkins. “To get programs implemented is a true reflection of UWT as a whole.”