Most students take out the trash and recycling to the dumpster near their residence hall or TLA, but not many know what happens to the waste and recycled material after it is disposed. At 6 a.m. each day, trash is picked up by Eagle Enterprises and taken to their facilities in Galva, Illinois.
Eagle Enterprises picks up the recycling every Tuesday and Thursday, too, charging Augustana $225 each month. After sorting the recycling, it ships the material to St. Louis, where the garbage is melted down and broken up. This material can then be reused and made into new products.
On the recycling bins around campus, there are signs describing what type of material may be recycled. Manager of Central Receiving Bill Fineran said generally, the majority of material on campus is recyclable, including plastic bottles, plastic bags and aluminum.
“Basically everything on campus is recyclable as long as it is rinsed out,” said Fineran. “We recycle grocery bags and glass that a lot of places won’t handle because there’s no money in it, but Eagle does take care of that.”
Rock Island began a city-wide recycling program six years ago. At Augustana, the student-run Global Affect club spreads word about recycling to students.
“We did a workshop for first-year students on recycling during Welcome Week this year on what you can and can’t recycle in dorm rooms and academic buildings,” said Global Affect president, Emily Haskins, a senior.
As a Top Ten contestant for RecycleMania in 2012, an annual recycling competition for colleges in the U.S. and Canada, Augustana uses a variety of materials that are Earth-friendly. For example, plates and silverware used in the CSL Dining Hall are potato-based and are taken to the dump to decompose. The college has also brought food scraps to Augie Acres in past years.
Teaming up with Eagle Enterprises, Augustana was able to implement a recycling program several years ago.
“We started this comprehensive program in 2006 when the administration asked facilities to come up with a program,” said Fineran. “We involved the custodians because it was a whole new thing for us, and they deal with the trash daily, so we asked for their suggestions and opinions.”
“Eagle Enterprises takes care of Quad City communities, so Augustana is like a 2,500 person town for them,” said Fineran. “The drivers say that we actually do better than some big towns. We definitely make a good impact on Eagle Enterprises.”
Haskins said the custodial staff and Eagle Enterprises rely on Global Affect to inform the student body.
“We noticed that a lot of people don’t actually know how to recycle,” said Haskins. “We help spread the word. For example, last Earth Week we had a concert where people could drop off old computers and electronics to be properly disposed of.”
The requested comprehensive program designed by the custodial staff and facilities helps run and organize the waste and recycling pick up. Fineran said the program makes the transportation of these materials simpler for Eagle Enterprises.
“We have different colored bags to tell what is recycling and trash for pickup,” said Fineran. “If you go on campus and see yellow and green bags, those are recyclables, and black and brown bags are trash. That way, the recycler can take a look at it and know what is what so their job is quicker and there is no guess work to it.”