Centre News

During Recyclemania, students gathered for a dumpster dive to
separate recycleable items from trash collected in residence halls
on campus.

This March, Centre’s Information Technology Services and the
Center for Teaching and Learning recycled 16,366 pounds of
technology equipment.

The equipment collected by ITS and CTL was collected by an EPA-
certified company that ensures that the materials are disposed
of properly.

Recyclemania 2010 wrapped up on March 27, and the totals are coming in. More than 10 tons were recycled on campus from Jan. 17 through March 27—including old corrugated boxes (OCC), cans, bottles and paper—due in large part to the help of Centre’s recycling coordinator Cheryl Coulter.

Recyclemania is a competition involving more than 600 colleges and universities nationwide to see which institution can collect the largest amount of recyclable materials in a 10-week period. Campuses compete in four categories: largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest total amount of recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita and highest recycling rate.

In the one category in which Centre competed–the Per Capita Classic–the College beat every participating school in Kentucky. Centre recycled 13.75 pounds per person, while the University of Kentucky recycled 12.67 pounds per person, Western Kentucky University recycled 4.82 pounds per person and Nothern Kentucky University recycled 3.18 pounds per person.

(The information below was excerpted from Centre's information technology service's blog. To read this or other posts on the ITS blog, click here.)

In conjunction with Recyclemania, Centre’s Information Technology Services (ITS) and Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) recycled 16,366 pounds (8.183 tons) of technology equipment in March.

When campus technology malfunctions or becomes obsolete in an office or computer lab, ITS inspects it to see if it’s something that could serve another purpose elsewhere, or if it can be cannibalized for parts. When it’s been determined that a piece of equipment has lived a full and meaningful life, or if it’s just plain dead and ready to be sent on its way, it is set aside to await recycling.

Centre contracts a company from Knoxville, Tenn., to collect and recycle the equipment. The company is EPA certified and provides a certificate ensuring that the materials are to be disposed of properly. Since most electronics (especially monitors and projectors) contain heavy metals like lead and mercury, it’s important that they are not allowed to sit in a location where those chemicals might leech into the ground water.

When all was said and done, ITS and CTL together managed to fill two and a half 24-foot-long moving vans. When the totals came back, 16,366 pounds (8.183 tons) of materials had been hauled away for recycling. For reference, that would be about the weight of five 2007 Mustang GT sports cars (or 61,862.44 bananas)!

Increased recycling on campus helps fulfill the tangible action component of the provisions outlined in the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). Centre President John Roush and higher education leaders of more than 400 other institutions across the country endorse the goals of this pact. As one of the Commitment's earliest and most ardent supporters, Roush is also recognized as a member of the ACUPCC Leadership Circle.