Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia was honored recently by the Georgia Recycling Coalition at its 17th annual conference on St. Simon’s Island. UGA received the Spirit of Green Award for its outstanding and well-established institutional recycling program.
Although the UGA Physical Plant manages campus recycling, recycling efforts are available to each member of the UGA community. Students have been engaged through the GoGreen Alliance which was formed to offer the opportunity for all environmental/sustainability student organizations and groups at UGA to collaborate, coordinate, unify and collectively strengthen their individual efforts. The GoGreen Alliance provides an organizational structure for the individual organizations to collaborate, rather than compete, and to make maximum impact on the UGA community through a master listserv, calendar of events, forums for discussion, and special events.
Recycling opportunities can be found across campus. Paper bins and bottle/can bins are located in each of the 380 buildings on the main campus and in several outside areas on the campus. The university recycles about 1,000 tons of mixed paper, cardboard, bottles and cans each year. The Automotive Center recycles tires, fuel filters, oil and antifreeze from the 1,650 vehicles serviced within the UGA fleet. UGA Food Services feeds 30,000 people each day, recycling .6 tons of cooking oil each month. UGA also recycles pallets, scrap metal, batteries, toner/inkjet cartridges and cell phones.
Recycling, reuse/repurposing and reduction initiatives are not new at UGA. Historical records indicate that starting in 1785 an existing structure was moved and reused for early Athens citizens. Leaf and limb recycling efforts have been in place since the early 1980s and office paper and bottle/can recycling programs have been in place since 1989. Since 1983, the University of Georgia has reclaimed 100% of its leaf and limb debris as compost.
For more information on recycling at UGA, see www.gogreen.uga.edu/recycle.
The Georgia Recycling Coalition is the 501(c)3 state recycling organization in Georgia. Its mission is to promote and enhance waste reduction and recycling programs and activities in the state. It is comprised of members representing all sectors of the recycling industry. GRC is an affiliate of the National Recycling Coalition and was awarded the Recycling Coalition of the Year for 2008 by NRC.
For more information on the Georgia Recycling Coalition, see http://www.georgiarecycles.org/.