Considering that just twenty-five navy blue recycling bins are placed on campus, loads of paper is now being recycled at Milligan.
The Milligan Recycling Committee, co-chaired by junior Kaitie Anderson and sophomore Andrew Spayde, organized campus-wide paper recycling this semester.
An estimated 2,500 pounds of paper have been collected since Anderson and Spayde placed the bins across campus on Sept. 24. A 30-yard container, which can hold two tons of paper, now sits behind the Physical Plant. Once full, the container will be emptied and ready for another load of recyclable paper. Theresa Garbe, director of alumni relations, is the faculty sponsor for MRC. A friend introduced her to recycling while they were Milligan students in the 1980s. She contacted Carter County Solid Waste, which provided a container free of charge.
“I find it hard to believe that we didn’t already have an established recycling program,” she said. “I’m encouraged that the bins are being filled on a regular basis.”
Twenty-five students each volunteered to monitor a bin. When a bin is filled to near capacity, the student empties it into the 30-yard container. MRC placed the bins in prominent locations across campus, from dorm lobbies to faculty offices.
Rosemarie Shields, assistant professor of English and humanities, supports MRC’s paper recycling efforts.
“I recycle everything. I have carried papers from [the Baker Faculty Office Center] to the recycling center. Now it is here [on campus],” she said.
While recycling 2,500 pounds of paper in less than three months is beneficial to the environment, the sheer volume speaks for the campus’ total paper usage.
Garbe reinforced that there are always ways to recycle more paper and reduce the amount used. After a person recycles for a while, it becomes a habit.
“I feel like it’s wasteful if I just throw paper away. At my house, it’s a habit to recycle. We separate the cans, the plastic and the newspapers. If students get into the habit in college, maybe they will continue it with their family,” said junior Jennifer Openshaw, who empties the paper recycling bin in the library.
Acceptable materials for the bins include office paper, newspapers, magazines and notebook paper. MRC encourages the Milligan community to remove staples and paper clips, if possible.
Tissues, paper with a waxy coating, cardboard or paperboard are unacceptable in the paper recycling bins. Cardboard recycling is available behind the cafeteria and is not placed as a result of MRC efforts.
MRC participated in the nationwide America Recycles Day, a nationwide event that collected over 1,000,000 pledges to recycle and buy recycled products. MRC collected 19 pledge cards during Rush Day in September.
Kaitie Anderson said, “We’d eventually like to recycle everything we can. It takes baby steps…we saved 2,500 pounds of paper from going to the landfill where it’s going to take up space.”
She said MRC hopes to implement plastic recycling campus wide next school year.
“Recycling is important because stewardship is important,” said Spayde. “We’ve been given the physical world by God and it’s our responsibility to take care of it. I think recycling is part of that.”