The Department of Sustainability has set out to change the way the ETSU community recycles, starting with the informational booth and recycling station they had set up this past Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the D.P. Culp Student Center.
The event, which was presented in conjunction with the nationwide initiative “America Recycles Day,” provided students with receptacles to recycle batteries and ink and toner cartridges, as well as informational sessions from representatives of the Department of Sustainability.
Erica Malpass, the sustainability coordinator for the department, said that the goal of observing “America Recycles Day” is the same across the entire nation: to get people thinking about how to properly recycle.
For their observance, the department chose to collect items that are traditionally more difficult to recycle in hopes of spreading awareness of the recycling center’s capabilities.
“I don’t think people realize we recycle on campus,” Malpass said. “We’re trying to help people understand we do accept some of the harder to recycle items.”
Malpass is also hopeful that the event was able to inform the ETSU community about how to properly go about disposing of recyclable items in the various bins around campus. She shares that the recycling center is only able to recycle plastic types one and two, so students must check the item to ensure it is recyclable before disposing of it in a recycling bin. The number will most likely be located at the bottom or side of the product and will be depicted within a recycling symbol.
Additionally, the event was able to provide an opportunity to share the Department of Sustainability’s other ongoing projects and initiatives. To further their recycling efforts, the department will be introducing new, educational signage around campus.
While the ETSU Free Store has had its final pop-up of the year, there will be a move-out donation event for those leaving campus this semester, to prepare for the store’s next pop-up in the spring. Donation bins will be set up from Nov. 28 to Dec. 9.
Regardless of the initiative, the Department of Sustainability works to better the campus and the surrounding community.
“Sustainability isn’t just technically the environment, there’s a lot of facets to it and it expands community wide,” Malpass said.
Suggestions for events and enterprises are always welcome and can be sent to: gogreen@etsu.edu. For more information and a full list of events hosted by the department, visit: etsu.edu/sustainability/.
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