Recycling has yet to be implemented in a functional way on campus.
On-campus recycling began in Fall 2009 when university officials installed paper, plastic and cardboard bins in several major buildings as part of the Blue Goes Green initiative.
The initiative later was replaced by former Student Government Association President Randy Gipson-Black’s “Blue Initiative,” which passed a recycling bill by Alumnus Ken Williams, former president of the Repurposing Club, in Spring 2017. The bill asked for money to purchase recycling bins and place them in each United Methodist Hall room. When the bill passed in Fall 2018, money was transferred to Young Democrats to purchase the bins because the Repurposing Club was left without leadership when Williams graduated.
And yet, despite these efforts, many students have to travel off campus to recycle.
See for more on the status of OCU’s recycling program.
There are alternatives that would make recycling more accessible for students. The central recycling location in Cokesbury Court Apartments only accepts paper and plastic. Oklahoma City’s refurbished curbside recycling system uses a “Single Stream” process where paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, aluminum, and paperboard cartons all may be deposited in the same bin, which then is collected by city workers. Using a similar system in campus housing would decrease waste and streamline campus recycling.
Another problem with the current recycling programs is the lack of knowledge students have about what should be recycled in the existing bins. Because certain materials can’t be recycled in different bins in different locations, appropriate recycling is confusing and unlikely to succeed. If SGA can’t implement the “Big Green” recycling bins that match the city’s curbside recycling process, they should at least work to simplify the recycling system itself. This could be as simple as issuing an updated statement on which recyclables may be deposited in each location or creating better signage on the bins themselves.
Students also should make sure they follow city compliances by not recycling wet paper products or food-contaminated paper/cardboard items.
Until these adjustments are made, students may be better off recycling at off-campus locations that accept a wider variety of items, such as at Target.
For campus recycling to work at OCU, guidelines need to be made clear so students know what to recycle, where to recycle it and how to do so.
I agree, recycling needs to be reformed on this campus. Past SGA administrations have done a great job st starting us off in the right path, but I feel that when President Tarter took over there were things that fell through the cracks that Pres. Gipson-Black would have been able to take care of more efficiently. However, my biggest problem with this editorial is that is shows an utter lack of understanding as to how SGA works. It is not solely SGA’s responsibility to reform recycling om this campus. If you want to see long lasting change this needs to be done by university administration not by students. Maybe if Media OCU would focus on finding a solution to a problem rather than using this as a platform to write hit pieces on SGA they could work to be part of a solution rather than the consistent antagonist they have become.