How to recycle at Muskingum

Recycling can simply mean reusing

In Thomas Hall, the multiple waste receptacles are not for an abundance of trash. One small bin collects aluminum cans, two large bins are for trash, another large bin is for plastic bottles and other plastic materials, and the newest addition to the trash room is a small bucket for plastic bottle lids.

All of these materials are separated and taken to different locations to be recycled by Thomas Hall Custodian Tammy Hannan.

Although Muskingum University does have a recycling program through Ace Disposal Co., many students don't know about the partnership and do not participate in the program. The initiative in Thomas Hall was based on Hannan's desire to help others as much as possible and to eliminate the amount of waste being produced on campus.

"I started about four years ago with the cans, saving them for a woman whose husband had died and was financially strapped," said Hannan. "Last year, I was up on second [floor] and one of the boys asked me if we could do plastic. They're not heavy or hard to carry so I just carry them out to the recycling bin behind Thomas when they get full. I probably get at least two bags a week of each."

Hannan also collects the bottle caps that have codes on them to be entered onto the coke website for rewards points, the only way one woman affords to buy Christmas gifts for her grandchildren. Along with that, she occasionally collects clothes for Goodwill or needy families, old towels and blankets for the animal shelter, and donates extra bottle caps to the dialysis center in Zanesville to help patients pay for cancer treatments.

Hannan's efforts mark an alternative definition of recycling that is often overlooked, the reuse of products with minimal or no alteration. In her case, it is important to note that recycling and reducing waste on campus does not always have to mean donating only those items that fit the description on the side of a recycling bin. It can also mean donating products to be reused by families or organizations in need.

Off-campus recycling and donation centers:

1. Muskingum County Recycling Center
2. Litter Prevention & Recycling
3. Cambridge Transfer and Recycling
4. Cambridge Wood Recycling, LLC.
5. Guernsey Scrap Recycling
6. Muskingum Iron & Metal Co.
7. Ohio Drop Off, A.S. Recycling Location
8. The Muskingum County Animal Shelter
9. Goodwill

Why many students and community members don't recycle

"I don't think students know that there's a recycling program at Muskingum," said junior Andy Moone. "I've never actually seen or heard anything about a recycling program at Muskingum so I just always assumed there wasn't one. The few containers that I see around campus, I just thought that they were being donated by the custodians in that area."

Many students respond to this news in the same way. Some residents at Muskingum even have bins in their rooms that they collect recyclable items in and then take home with them to be recycled rather than simply depositing them in the locations on campus.

Part of the problem with the Muskingum recycling program is that the recycling bins simply look like white dumpsters, rather than the typical long green recycling containers with a recycling logo on the side that are seen in most communities. Unless students walk out to look at the bins behind Thomas Hall, Kelley/Patton Hall, or the Bait Shop, they simply won't notice the small sign that designates the bin for recyclable materials.

But lack of knowledge is not the only reason that people, in general, do not recycle. Many people feel that recycling is inconvenient and that they do not have enough extra space in their home or dorm room to save recyclable materials.

Other complaints stem from the belief that recycling seems too difficult, doesn't pay enough, and does not actually make a big difference on the environment.

Tip: Recycling is an easy way to make a little extra money each month. Stop by a local recycling center and ask for a list of materials and products that they accept. Oftentimes, there will be products that you never knew you could recycle, like an old swing set or car battery.

The truth about recycling (in a nutshell)

Recycling and reusing products and materials benefits both the environment and the economy.

When it comes to the environment, you're not simply just keeping a biodegradable product from prolonging its existence in a landfill.

"When you recycle, there should be less trash and therefore all the environmental factors come in, you're using far less energy creating products from the recycled material and increasing the life of the landfill," said Ohio Department of Natural Resources Representative Martie Kolb.