CLARKSTON, Ga. — After a multi-year hiatus, a recycling program is gearing up on all Georgia State University Perimeter College campuses— and Ernie Guyton is optimistic.
Guyton, a Clarkston Campus anthropology professor and sustainability advocate, is helping to reinstate a program with the assistance of the Georgia State University Office of Sustainability. The single-stream program accepts metal, cans, paper and cardboard.
“It’s been since 2013 that we’ve had a robust recycling program," Guyton said. "By 2016, we were hardly recycling at all on the Perimeter campuses. Now we’re back, moving forward and beyond with our recycling efforts at Perimeter campuses, expanding our ... availability beyond what we had even in 2013.”
With landfill — and trash-hauling — costs rising, the recycling program aims to reduce the amount of trash going to landfills, said Jenni Asman, Georgia State’s Sustainability Program manager.
The bins are being emptied by Georgia State Perimeter facilities staff and transported to Caraustar Recycling in Doraville, she said.
Getting to this point took coordination, Guyton said. There is now a new labeling program on all bins and a managed effort from Asman.
The Perimeter program is funded through a reallocation of a $2 Perimeter College student fee recently approved by the Student Government Association. It is being implemented by Kenneth Butler of Georgia State’s Facilities Management Service Division, whose team also is responsible for making sure the recyclables are free of food waste.
No glass or Styrofoam is being accepted at this time.
Bins were placed on the Dunwoody, Clarkston, Alpharetta and Decatur campuses last February and March, said Asman, but few at the college were aware of the program. Even without promotion, the Clarkston Campus amassed 2.49 tons of recyclables in September; followed by Alpharetta with 1.79 tons and Dunwoody at 1.18 tons, Asman said. (Newton Campus has a different recycling company, which is not being tracked at this time.) Asman plans to install a sensor on the bins on all campuses (including Newton) to track recycling tonnage.
“This will allow me to get exact landfill diversion rates, which could lead to some fun competition down the road,” she said.
Dunwoody English professor Gina Flowers was happy to hear about the renewed recycling effort on campus.
“To make recycling more effective, we’re got to have buy-in from everyone,” she said. “Students, faculty and staff must put recyclables in the correct container. If we keep tossing our leftover lunch in the blue bins, the whole cycle breaks down.”
Bins range from 96-gallon totes to 7-gallon office desk bins, with other sizes also available. It takes about a week for them to be delivered, said Butler.
Faculty and staff can order bins for their offices or departments by submitting a Recycling Work Request form to www.sustainability.gsu.edu. Select the option, “Request New Bins.”
The work order form also is the place to go when you see an overflowing bin.
The program should be fully operational on all campuses by the end of the semester, Asman said.
Guyton and student government leaders will host an informational event on recycling on the Clarkston Campus from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, in front of the student center. Popcorn, snacks, and recycling information will be available.