Toccara BuckleyWhile Pennsylvania continues to be one of the top producers in the recycling industry, according to the National Recycling Coalition, Cabrini is still having problems with the community members recycling.
Howard Holden, director of facilities, said the college has a recycling program that is available to all faculty, staff and students.
“There is a large cardboard recycle dumpster next to the dining hall and a commingled dumpster behind Xavier,” Holden said.
“All the dorms are equipped with cans; housekeeping carries items out to the dumpsters,” Holden said.
Commingled recycling means things such as paper, cardboard, aluminum and tin cans can be placed in one recycling container instead of having separate ones for each item.
Act 101 of 1988 requires all commercial, institutional and municipal establishments in Pennsylvania to recycle high-grade office paper, corrugated paper, aluminum, and leaf waste. Holden implied the college cooperates with the law.
“We recycle plastic and glass and we also have commingled recycling on campus,” Holden said. “We also recycle anything the college generates regarding yard waste-leaves branches and sticks.”
Holden said one of the main problems with recycling on campus is that the students generate most of the waste, yet they recycle the least.
“The students generate the most, but they don’t use the recycling or they pollute it,” Holden said. “If you have a recycling container and somebody throws a piece of pizza in it, it cannot be used for recycling. It is difficult at times to effectively recycle.”
Junior Elizabeth Ritter said she is familiar with the recycling program at the college and occasionally uses it when she has recyclables.
“Our RA told us where all the stuff was and that she would like us to recycle,” Ritter, a resident of house four, said. “I think generally in the house we recycle. The college is getting better at making it a priority.”
Some residents of house two, the largest house on campus, are not aware of recycling bins in their house.
“I’d use them if I knew about them,” junior elementary education major Meredith LeMasters said. “Those bins would be great on every floor in a house.” LeMasters added that many of the residents in house two dump all their garbage in the bathroom, and they lump trash and recyclables altogether.
The contractor the college uses is Mascaro, who was brought in last year to take care of the trash and recycling on campus.
“They do a good program,” Holden said. “They take care of several other colleges.”
The college is also required to report its estimated recycle tallies back to Delaware Township and Radnor County, who then have to turn the figures into the state. Holden said since it is the beginning of the year and the program is just getting started, the college does not have accurate data yet. It should be available in the spring.
Posted to the Web by Toccara Buckley
