University cycles out more than 4,000 tons of trash in 2007

In 2006, IU put out more than 7,000 tons of garbage. This excess waste is beginning to take a toll on not only Bloomington, but also other cities in Monroe County, said a representative of Residential Programs and Services.\nIU has a contract with Hoosier Disposal and Recycling Services, a nationwide company with a local hub in Bloomington. Hoosier Disposal Sales Manager Ron Howard said in the past few years he has been pleased with the amount of recycling IU has done.\n“We recycle cardboard, paper, metal, pretty much everything,” he said. “IU is great. They’re doing a fantastic job recycling.” \nHoosier Disposal does not pick up trash or recycling within Bloomington city limits, but the city of Bloomington stills sends all of its recycling to Hoosier Disposal at the end of the collection period. The increase in dumpsters has helped Hoosier Disposal raise awareness and the ease of collecting, Howard said. \n“Our new program makes it a little easier for IU dorms and different facilities to utilize our service,” he said.\nIU is improving with total amount of waste put out per year. In 2007, the University cut back to 4,103 tons. Though the amount of waste has decreased by more than 3,000 tons, IU still has a long way to go, said Steve Akers, residential programs and services associate director of Environmental Operations. \n“We’re trying to recycle more in order to reduce our waste on campus and to reduce the environmental impact that the campus is having on the county of Monroe and the state of Indiana,” he said. “If we can recycle more material and use it more efficiently rather than create more waste, we’ll better the environment.” \nIn the residence halls, more than 600 recycling bins help encourage students to recycle newspapers, cans or plastic waste, he said. IU plans to help encourage students to make better environmentally friendly decisions in many ways, he said.\nJust last month, RPS provided residents in Collins Living-Learning Center with energy-efficient light bulbs that last up to seven years, Akers said. \nIn the near future, Akers said RPS hopes to start a competition between dorms to see which residence hall can use the least amount of energy. \nSophomore Zach Rozyck, a Collins LLC resident, said he is happy his dorm promotes recycling. \n“I keep a little bin in my room where I sort out different things to recycle,” he said. “When people talk about issues related to the carbon emission and other human factors I get a little overwhelmed because it makes me wonder if I’m doing all I can to help out.” \nAkers said overflowing landfills and lack of space for landfills are becoming major issues as well, especially in the Bloomington area where the waste has to be transported out of town.\n“The waste we’re creating is being trucked to a landfill outside of our county, which is putting more carbon dioxide into the air just by moving it,” Akers said. “We’re going to have to lessen our impact.”