SJU Places First in A10 in RecycleMania Contest
Monday, April 11, 2011
In time to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, a wide-ranging group of Saint Joseph’s University employees and students learned that their efforts to increase recycling on campus earned first place among Atlantic 10 Conference schools entered in RecycleMania’s collegiate recycling competition. During the national 10-week contest, SJU recycled 113.9 tons – approximately 31 percent of total campus waste, and a 10 percent increase over the previous year’s results. Additionally, the University ranked 112th out of a field of 288 colleges and universities in the Grand Champion Division, placing eighth out of 23 Pennsylvania schools.
“This is great news for everyone involved with recycling at Saint Joseph’s,” says Michael McCann, Ph.D., associate dean of the College of Arts and Science and chair of the University’s Sustainability Committee. “The recognition is the result of the dedication of a broad coalition of SJU community members, drawing from Auxiliary Services, Environmental Health and Safety, Residence Life, the Recycling Committee and our students and faculty. Mary Feeney, chair of the Recycling Committee, and Ruby Robinson of Arthur Jackson, the SJU recycling coordinator, both deserve special recognition, because they have overseen the development and implementation of the University’s recycling program.”
A number of recycling stations are located throughout campus for the collection of recyclables, from the ubiquitous blue containers in many buildings to the “Big Belly” solar-powered stations located on the grounds. Materials collected include paper, plastics, metals and some forms of regulated waste, such as batteries and fluorescent bulbs.
“The success of our recycling initiatives is especially gratifying because it decreases SJU’s carbon footprint while increasing the awareness that choosing to recycle makes an impact,” says Howard Heim, director of Environmental Health and Safety and vice chair of the Sustainability Committee.
