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Netherlands houses pilot recycling program

By Lisa DiCarlucci, Entertainment Editor

After two and a half years of work, Students for Greener Hofstra (SGH) has combined efforts with the University's Plant Department to create a pilot recycling program in the Netherlands Café. The program allows students to take an active role in the recycling process by providing seven bins for glass, cans and plastics, white paper and general trash.

"The new pilot recycling program…complements Hofstra's existing recycling program," according to Joe Barkwill, Vice President of Operations and Facilities. The University currently has a contract with Jamaica Ash Waste Management Firm to separate recycles from the University's waste.

Alex Moore, a member of SGH says that this isn't enough. "Jamaica Ash does sort Hofstra's trash," Moore said, "but they do a very inefficient job." Moore attributes this to the amount of waste and the size of the Jamaica Ash Corporation. "More important to the students of SGH is the educational aspect lost to the post-sorting that Jamaica Ash does for us," Moore said, "With the current campus wide system, we are creating muscle memory in students that it is alright not to recycle."

In hopes of making students have a more active role in the recycling process, SGH has spent the past two and a half years convincing the University to incorporate this program. Barkwill seems to be receptive. "I was very impressed with the students overall commitment to this cause," Barkwill said, "and I assigned members of my department to work closely with the students."

Whether students will actually participate in the program is yet to be seen. However, the bins provided make it difficult not to participate because of their convenient location and because of the lack of singular wastebaskets in the café.

The program is new for this semester and is operating on a trial basis. Its success will determine future recycling programs in other locations around campus. "[SGH] of course, would like nothing short of recycling in every floor of every building on campus," Moore said, "If [the recycling program] is successful, used, and not taken advantage of, it will expand, and if not it will be nixed again entirely."

The University has attempted to have pre-sorted recycling programs in the past that have not been successful, but SGH and the Plant Department are hopeful.

"The University owes it to each of its students to make us stewards of our communities," Moore said.

Moore reminds everyone to "please recycle, use less disposables in general and the ones you do use, make sure they are recyclable so that you can bring them over to the Netherlands."

The new garbage bins in the Netherlands Cafe (Sean M. Gates/The Chronicle)

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