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Celebrating National Recycling Day was an easy task for the Environmental Club and Sustainability Center on Thursday. With events like mini boxcar races, a cakewalk and trash sorting, this day was to celebrate the university’s successes in recycling, junior Lissa Firor said.
“The university probably doesn’t know (national recycling day) exists,” Firor said.
Part of National Recycling Day is to raise awareness of recycling and get people involved, sophomore Amanda Franklin said.
The events were available to anyone who wanted to get involved.
The mini boxcars were made out of 90 percent recycled materials.
The cakewalk was sponsored by the Environmental Club. During the event, anyone could answer a trivia question to win a snack.
Other events included trash sorting — one full dumpster from the Wallace Residence Center was sorted through and items were identified as recyclable or reusable.
Also, the film “The 11th Hour” was shown and a “Your Trash, Our Resource” forum was held Thursday afternoon.
A lot of people don’t know what all can be recycled, senior Andrea Dickerson said. Electronics, printer cartridges and even shoes can be recycled.
When it comes to recycling, “in my mind, it’s a simple thing,” Franklin said.
Tips for recycling are to separate the waste into small trashcans and deliver it to the Moscow Recycling Center.
Franklin said a lot of people may not know how easy recycling is and how people think about how it can be a hassle.
“(Recycling is) a lot easier than you think,” Dickerson said.
An estimate of 14 percent of trash is recycled yearly on UI campus and the Environmental Club and Sustainability Center are working to increase that number. More than 1,568 tons of solid waste a year is thrown out on campus every year. The Environment Club is working on a petition to reduce this amount to 20 percent by 2013, Franklin said.
The Environmental Club would like to increase the amount of bins throughout campus, located inside and outside of buildings. And to make recycling more of a focal point than it is presently.
“We are really focusing on waste reduction,” Firor said.
The Sustainability Center had available a survey to see how students feel about increasing student fees to provide recycling facilities around campus.
It will give the center an idea for what students think about the idea Dickerson said.
Other events the Environmental Club sponsors throughout the year is Earth Week, where residence halls and Greek houses compete against each other to build an aluminum can sculpture.
For additional information about upcoming events or recycling holiday tips visit www.uisc.uidaho.edu.
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