NSU has transitioned from sorted recycling to single-stream recycling.
Assistant Director of Physical Plant Anthony Iovino said single-stream recycling bins will be installed beside garbage cans around campus.
“If you walk through the UC, there’s paper bins and a bin for bottles and cans. You have to go to two different bins,” Iovino said. “Once this program takes effect, there’ll be one bin clearly labeled showing you what can go in the bin.”
Before, mixed paper and cardboard went in one compactor, and once a week, this material was recycled. The can and bottle bins were emptied every two weeks. With the new single-stream recycling system, several materials can be placed in one bin. These include steel, tin and aluminum cans, plastic bottles and containers, cardboard and paperboard, glass bottles and jars, paper cardboard like diary and juice containers and paper products like office paper, brown paper bags, newspaper and magazines. However, plastic bags, food waste, and polystyrene foam cups are not able to be recycled.
Iovino said he decided to change the system when NSU’s contract with its current recycle vendor was coming to a close. He then sought out a new vendor that offered single-stream recycling.
“It’s being a good steward for our own planet,” Iovino said. “All you have to do is throw it in that bin and they can reuse it.”
Undergraduate Student Government President Kelly Scott, senior athletic training major, said she and other members of SGA talked to Iovino about making it easier to recycle. SGA members felt there weren’t enough recycling cans in the Cultural Living Center and the Farquhar, Founders and Vettel residence halls, and that there were restrictions to recycling. Scott said she is excited for the single stream change as it will make recycling easier.
“It’s cheaper and it’s faster and it’s easier for everyone to recycle,” Scott said.
Scott said the initiative matched SGA’s goals of increasing sustainability on campus.
“Recycling is a big deal. It can save the environment and it’s easy,” Scott said. “It’s not hard to recycle.”
Iovino said he hopes that the new system increases the amount of material that the NSU community recycles. Currently, NSU recycles 34 percent of its waste. This placed the university 89th in the nation and fourth in Florida in the RecycleMania Tournament, a recycling contest 461 colleges participated in. Iovino plans to enter NSU in the tournament again in February.
For more information about recycling at NSU, visit nova.edu/gogreen/recycling/index.html.
