CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE : Students Launch Recycling Effort

Reacting to the recycling trend, Cal State Northridge has implemented a program to reduce the amount of waste buried in landfills.

Sixteen bins, specially marked for recyclable materials including aluminum, glass and plastic, have been placed throughout the campus in hopes that they will collect refuse before a trash can does.

In addition to the 55-gallon bins, organizers hope to place 1,000 smaller receptacles in offices to collect white, colored and computer paper.

The program was spearheaded by David Weiss, Associated Students director of finance, who felt that CSUN was not doing its part in recycling while other universities had already begun similar programs.

Weiss said that CSUN, with an enrollment of more than 30,000 students, contributes significantly to the problem of rapidly filling landfills, so action needed to be taken to recycle.

He said there seems to be much support for the program and he hopes that students will continue to participate. But he is optimistic that it will succeed.

Most of the funds generated will go to the Associated Students Union and will be used to educate students about the program and the importance of recycling. Additional bins will be purchased with the revenue so that students will have easy access to dumpsters.

However, not all of the funds will be returned to the ASU. State law requires that any money generated from recycling state-purchased material--such as paper--must be returned to the university’s general fund.

Despite being scheduled to begin Feb. 25, the recycling effort officially started March 5. Weiss said the program had been in the planning stages for about 18 months but had continuously run into snags.