November 14, 2013
Recycling contest on campus starts Friday
In celebration of America Recycles Day, the university and its Office of Sustainability are sponsoring a special campus competition on Friday, Nov. 15.
The goal of the “Start Seeing Recycling” contest is for students, faculty and staff to consciously notice and participate in recycling and green initiatives on campus. On Friday, all members of the campus community can join in the competition by simply finding a recycling bin on campus and reporting its location. Submit the report quickly and easily via the online form at www.sustainability.siu.edu/getinvolved/submit-a-bin or by sending an email to recycle@pso.siu.edu.
Every submission is a contest entry and makes participants eligible for a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate. There are other prizes too, including a $25 gift certificate and a variety of sustainability-related items. It only takes one entry to win, but multiple entries citing additional recycling bin locations are welcome.
The contest is designed to enhance recycling efforts and help the Sustainability Office in creating a comprehensive list of all recycling containers on campus.
“One of the biggest reasons we were able to increase our recycling rate from 21 percent last year to 24 percent this year is because we had a push this summer to make sure bins are strategically placed in the best possible places,” said Tom Reichert, recycling coordinator. “We need to know where every recycling container is on campus so we can make sure they are in the right place and so we can better direct people to them.”
Faculty, staff and students may also stop by the SIU Sustainability Office to sign the Sustainable Saluki Pledge and receive a free stainless steel water bottle to help with conservation efforts. The office is in room 145 on the first floor of the Student Center.
More information about sustainability and green initiatives at SIU is available at www.sustainability.siu.edu, calling 618/453-2846 or by email sustainability@siu.edu.