Just a year ago, recycling on campus was hard. It was by no means impossible, but certainly inconvenient and sometimes a real pain.
“I don’t recycle now, but if there was a way for me to do it just as conveniently as it is for me to take out the trash, then I absolutely would,” said Christian McCurdy a senior history major from Henagar, “especially if it was available at my apartment complex or at places on campus where trashcans are located.”
The Environmental Club has taken it upon themselves to do just that. They have set out to make recycling a soda can just as easy as discarding it in the garbage by having a recycling bin conveniently located next to trashcans.
Ten years prior, Troy University had a recycling program, but it was shut down, be it due to finances or a lack of interest. Groups on campus, like the Environmental Club, were reluctant to ever let it die and hosted pushes for recycling during Earth Week.
However, for students like Chelsea Smith, a senior biology major from Enterprise, it was clear that Trojans could do more.
“We really want to see students take an interest in what we are doing because for a school like Troy with the size of our student body, we really should have a steady program in place because we could make a real difference,” Smith said.
To do this, the Environmental Club has taken its first steps by placing recycling bins in all of the residential buildings here on campus.
All students have to do is place their bags of recyclables into the bins and the Environmental Club will take care of the rest.
“Recycling is something everyone can do,” said Jeremy Duke, a junior biology major from Ozark and member of the university’s current recycling initiative. “We want this to become a commonplace thing, not a chore for students.”
Troy University has approximately 24,000 students currently enrolled; this means that if every student on campus recycled one aluminum can a month, we would be able to power a television for a little over eight years.
“We hope to see this become a pilot program for next year to see which dorm is doing it and where the interest lies, and then whether or not Troy would be able to support a campus-wide recycling push in academic buildings and Greek buildings as well as just residential halls,” Duke said. “We are seeing what renovations need to be made, and then we are preparing to make them.”
Students who are interested in joining the Environmental Club in their efforts are more than welcome to sign up for the email list about meetings and events during Earth Week, which will be the second week in April.
During Earth Week, the club and its members will be set up on the Quad spreading awareness for their initiative as well as other environmentally based issues.
Students can also find the club on Facebook at Troy University Environmental Club, or those just interested in work with the recycling initiative can find connections at the Troy Recycle page.
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