Daily Egyptian Reporter 19

While America Recycles Day relishes its inception, Marian Brown considers every day to be an opportunity to stretch the life of recyclable materials.

Brown, the associate director of SIUC’s Plant and Service Operations, is dedicated to improving the recycling conditions on the SIUC campus.

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Brown said SIUC has experienced an increase from a recovery of 486 tons of recyclable materials for 1996 to a projected recovery of 671.5 tons for 1997.

SIUC Plant and Service Operations, which assumed responsibility for the campus recycling program Jan. 1, 1996, has expanded the program to every academic building on campus and to facilities leased by the University at the Southern Illinois Airport.

Although Brown is proud of the SIUC Recycling Program’s progress, she admits that much remains to be accomplished.

We’re pleased, so far, but not content, Brown said. Right now expansion into University Housing is our goal.

The department’s first recycling efforts with University Housing expansion, a pilot program at Thompson Point, has experienced a sluggish start.

Carla Gallik, a Thompson Point resident and co-coordinator of the Thompson Point Project, said the program has been implemented slowly.

Gallik said she hopes that Thompson Point will serve as a model for others to follow.

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Our goal is to make recycling a part of everyday life, Gallik said.

Brown said that operating under a budget of about $60,000 per year makes difficult any progress beyond maintaining existing conditions.

We simply don’t have enough funding to be where we would like to be, Brown said.

Having recently applied for the $50,000 Round 16 Recycling Grant, the SIUC Recycling Program is seeking state support for the second time in less than a year.

In April, the SIUC Recycling Program’s application for a $50,000 state grant, funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, was denied.

But Brown remains optimistic about the program’s chances this time around.

Our first application was denied on the grounds of a technicality, Brown said. Hopefully, the result will be different this time.

Grant funds, pending the state’s approval of the application, would go directly toward purchasing about 380 metal recycling bins for University Housing on the east side of campus.

Chris Kalter, a graduate student from Mundelein hired by Plant and Service Operations to support and promote the SIUC Recycling Program, said the grant is exceptionally significant because it would be increasing access to recycling facilities.

Our first obligation is to make recycling accessible, Kalter said. It’s not that the students are apathetic to recycling. I just feel that if it isn’t convenient, they don’t recycle.

Although access is critical, Kalter does not undermine the importance of creating awareness.

We also have to make people aware of why recycling is important, Kalter said.

It is this hope for awareness that prompted the first ever America Recycles Day today.

In honor of American Recycles Day, and the subsequent first ever Illinois Recycles Day, SIUC Recycling Program is sponsoring a recycling pledge drive at the University Mall Saturday.

We want people to come and learn more than they already know about recycling, Brown said. We want to be responsible for broadening awareness.

The more recent efforts of the SIUC Recycling Program are a response to the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act. The Act mandated that all state run universities develop recycling plans.

Brown said the interests of the people involved in the program itself are far more sincere than simply meeting state standards.

Initially, the program was in response to state demand, Brown said. But we are not involved with the program solely in response to the mandate. We are involved because we feel that recycling is the right thing to do.