Spring Break
Eastern stresses three r's on campus
Scott Richey/Online Reporter
Issue date: 2/28/07 Section: News
172 colleges and universities vied for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency College/University Partner of the Year, but it was Eastern that walked away with the prize in 2006. Eastern also won a Partner of the Year award in 1999.
Alan Rathe, recycling coordinator at Eastern, said he was pleased with the efforts made by faculty, staff and students, but Eastern could still improve in regards to the three r's.
"Everyone has recycling down pat," Rathe said. "Reduce and reuse are the first two important things."
Rathe said his job as recycling coordinator means getting everything recycled and to the right place. However, he is not alone in this venture.
He added that he has eight student workers that pick up recyclables on campus.
Last year about 372 tons of paper and cardboard alone were collected, Rathe said.
All of the buildings on Eastern's campus are doing a good job recycling, Rathe said.
He added that he would like to see greater influence placed on reducing waste and reusing materials.
This could be anything from copying on both sides of paper or eating at a restaurant instead of bringing the waste to campus.
Rathe said that he and members of the student senate recycling committee recently performed a "dumpster dive."
He added that 50 percent of what they found in the dumpsters was recyclable and that the majority was paper or plastic.
Mark Bates, former chair of the university recycling and development committee for Eastern's Student Senate, participated in the dumpster dive.
He said that lots of paper of glass was found in the dumpsters that could have been recycled. Bates added that two bags full of paper were found in the dumpster he searched.
He said he wondered if it was a coincidence or if recycling bins were just emptied into the dumpster.
Bates is a major proponent of the benefits of recycling.
"From a financial point of view, it [recycling] saves Eastern money," he said.
Alan Rathe, recycling coordinator at Eastern, said he was pleased with the efforts made by faculty, staff and students, but Eastern could still improve in regards to the three r's.
"Everyone has recycling down pat," Rathe said. "Reduce and reuse are the first two important things."
Rathe said his job as recycling coordinator means getting everything recycled and to the right place. However, he is not alone in this venture.
He added that he has eight student workers that pick up recyclables on campus.
Last year about 372 tons of paper and cardboard alone were collected, Rathe said.
All of the buildings on Eastern's campus are doing a good job recycling, Rathe said.
He added that he would like to see greater influence placed on reducing waste and reusing materials.
This could be anything from copying on both sides of paper or eating at a restaurant instead of bringing the waste to campus.
Rathe said that he and members of the student senate recycling committee recently performed a "dumpster dive."
He added that 50 percent of what they found in the dumpsters was recyclable and that the majority was paper or plastic.
Mark Bates, former chair of the university recycling and development committee for Eastern's Student Senate, participated in the dumpster dive.
He said that lots of paper of glass was found in the dumpsters that could have been recycled. Bates added that two bags full of paper were found in the dumpster he searched.
He said he wondered if it was a coincidence or if recycling bins were just emptied into the dumpster.
Bates is a major proponent of the benefits of recycling.
"From a financial point of view, it [recycling] saves Eastern money," he said.
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