Students Encouraged to Recycle During Housing Move-Out

April 29, 2016

OBU is encouraging all students to recycle an array of items as they move out from campus housing in May. The initiative is being organized by student life, residential life and facilities management.

Over the next two weeks, students will receive detailed information on items they may recycle as they move out of the dorms and apartments. Donation sites will be at the front desk of each residential facility. The idea is to be good stewards and recycle the thousands of useful items that would otherwise end up in a landfill, and to instead give them to local charities that can put them to good use for those in need.

Items will be collected and used by non-profits including Cargo Ranch, the Salvation Army, and Faith 7, among others. Items available for collection and recycling include furniture, electronics, personal hygiene items such as shampoo and soap, plastic bottles, unused food, cleaning and kitchen supplies, clothing, books, cardboard, paper and more. When in doubt, students are asked to bring the items to their designated recycling areas.

This effort is part of OBU’s GoGreen initiative, led by facilities management and inspired by the Student Government Association. Over the past year, the University has added recycling bins in the Geiger Center and has made efforts to increase environmental awareness and reduce landfill impact. OBU has likewise added hydration stations around campus where students and staff can refill water bottles and reduce waste. These stations are now located in the Geiger Center, Bailey Business Center, the Recreation and Wellness Center, Admissions and the Academic Center, Stavros Hall, the Lodge, and the facilities maintenance building, with future locations planned in the Mabee Learning Center and residence halls. Many employee offices already contain paper recycling bins, with plans underway to expand those in the future as well.

The University plans to add a significant amount of recycling bins in the near future, expanding to other buildings around campus, including housing facilities. The University also desires to reduce waste and landfill impact as much as possible, to be the best stewards of God’s creation and to protect His creation.

In the near future, as the University expands its recycling program, students will have opportunities to serve and work together in collecting recycling and keeping OBU’s campus green and beautiful.