Those who love to reduce, reuse and recycle will finally get the chance to do so this year, as the recycling club comes to campus. 26-year-old Lance Willinger, head of the recycling club, is on a mission to make people more aware about recycling on campus and their own littering habits.
“Our mission is to get people more involved in the club,” Willinger said. “We want recycling to become more known on campus, and for it to be kick started this year.”
This will be the first year that a recycling club will be available on campus. The club is looking for incoming freshman who have a passion for the environment to lead the club and carry it on into the future. The club wants strong leadership and will even provide the office space to do so.
“Anyone can join the club,” Willinger said. “I’m head of recycling club for a while. I’m really here to help it get set off the ground.”
First on the club’s to-do list—converting existing recycling bins on campus to “single-stream” recycling bins that can handle anything students can throw at it—paper, plastic, even glass.
Willinger said this will simplify the recycling process, and lead to more people using recycling bins.
“It was beginning to be a challenge for people to recycle with separate bins,” Willinger said. “We now have single bins. Even if it has liquid in it, it can be recycled.”
Willinger knows that not everyone is into recycling, but he maintains a positive outlook on the project.
“We want people to have a Portlandia experience,” Willinger said. “People need to understand that it does take time to recycle, but the outcome is the best.”
Amelia Mayahi, acting sustainability coordinator, is hoping the recycling club will be just like the Environmental Action Club, attracting students from across campus.
“We really want this to be a student-lead club,” Mayahi said. “We are looking for motivated students to work and take on the lead.”
Mayahi believes that only students can rally other students. She hopes to spread the word on campus this year about the importance of recycling.
“We hope by Tiger Blue goes Green Day in October to have a bunch of students from orientation already signed up,” Mayahi said.
Tiger Blue goes Green Day is a full day dedicated to sustainability and environmental education on campus. Students and visitors can partake in a number of events to increase awareness of “green” practices such as group bike rides. It’s a day of doing good and a day of being green.
“This year, building by building, we hope to have recycling bins that are equal to or more in number than trash cans,” Mayahi said.
The club plans to work with the Memphis River Warriors, a group that cleans up trash along the Mississippi River, joining them in a weeklong cleanup project later in the year. The Recycling Club plans to collaborate with other campuses as well.
“We invite any students to join the club,” Mayahi said. “We are excited to spread the word about the environment on campus.”
