Recycling bins on campus | Photo by Jessica Fugett | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State University started recycling on campus several years ago.
All of WSU’s recycling goes through Rumpke. At the end of each year, Wright State receives the money generated through recycling, according to Jim Click, the custodial service manager.
The university used to participate in an event called Recyclemania which was a national competition between different college campuses to recycle as much as possible.
WSU has not participated in the competition for a couple of years now, since the university was facing a financial crisis, according to Click.
“I think we’ve done well but I think we can do better. I think in the end it’s all about knowledge, getting the word out there and letting people know,” said Click. “If you’re sitting at home and you never recycle and then you come to Wright State University and you work your eight hours, the chance that you’re going to recycle here doesn’t increase a whole lot. It’s the same habit, just throw it all in the trash.”
The student organization EcoWarriors is committed to improving environmentally friendly options and decisions on campus. EcoWarriors is invested in the recycling initiative on campus and conservation efforts at WSU, according to EcoWarriors’ mission statement.
“I’m in and out of meetings all week long and when I deal with people it’s ‘we’re short staffed, we’re short money, we’re short this and that’ and it’s like we still have to recycle. To them it doesn’t ring as much of a bell as ‘how are we going to keep going’ does,” said Click. “I’m also optimistic. I sit in a lot of these leadership meetings and I understand behind the scenes of what the university goes through. I think we’re doing great. I think the university is bouncing back. I’m proud of what we have here.”
Currently, there is a recycling compactor at the back of Allyn Hall. All recycling goes into the compactor before Rumpke takes it. Rumpke allows up to 10 percent waste in the recycling material they receive, according to Click.
The future plans for recycling at Wright State include more recycling bins and options, better educating the community about recycling and its benefits, and a possible centralized trash location, according to Click.
Statistics and analytics about the amount of recycling Wright State produced in 2018 and 2019 has not been received from Rumpke yet.
- News Roundup: Week of April 15
- How to Survive Ohio Weather: Residents Speak Out After Devastating Tornadoes
- WSU Welcomes “Lowdy Laker” as New Lake Campus Mascot
