By Kaye Nelson
In one corner of Heather Hathaway''s college kitchen is an every-growing pile of boxes and plastic milk jugs. Not having access to recycling at their apartment, she and her roommates take recyclables to her parent''s house, where, as Provo residents, they are a part of the city''s recycling program.
'We keep milk jugs and cereal boxes to take to my parents recycling,' Hathaway said. 'I''ll collect it regularly and take it when I''m stopping by.'
Hathaway isn''t the only college student frustrated that there isn''t recycling for college students who live in apartments and rental houses.
Since BYU has a great recycling system visibly in place all over campus, some students take advantage of the availability.
'We collect all the paper goods we use and bring them to campus,' said Lisa Ruefenacht, a senior from Walnut Creek, Calif., majoring in communications. 'It''s the easiest way to recycle when you don''t have one of those recycling bins, which we are thinking of getting.'
Hathaway, too, has contemplated ordering a blue recycling can.
'We''ve talked to the boys next door and if we all paid a little, it would cost us cents to recycle,' Hathaway said. 'If we were to share recycling we''d have more recycling than trash.'
Many college students shop at places like Sam''s Club and Costco, buying in bulk for the number of people sharing an apartment or house. That means coming home with not only food items, but the bulky cardboard and plastic containers the food comes in.
Hathaway lamented that her landlords live in California and are disconnected from their situation but said she felt that recycling should be included in their rent.
'It should be a service like garbage is,' Hathaway explained. 'You''re getting rid of bulk things and you''re helping the environment.'
Provo began its recycling program several years ago, and currently, there are only 2600 households paying $5 a month for a blue recycling can and twice-monthly pick-up. If 3000 households participate, the cost will go down to $4.
Thousands of Provo residents aren''t participating but Provo City continually tries to push the program.
'We send out information in utility bills and all our trucks have the recycling number so people can call,' said Suzann Dixon, office manager for Provo sanitation. She said that sometimes the orders they get and the cancellation orders nullify each other.
'The problem with this town, and maybe nationwide, is controlling multi-units,' Dixon said. 'The city won''t put blue recycling cans at large apartment complexes,' but landlords of rental houses could provide a can for students to use, just like a garbage can.
'Landlords usually won''t pay for them,' Dixon said. 'It''s usually students that order them but cancel them when they move out.'
Hathaway summed up her feelings about not having recycling readily available.
'I feel bad when I put stuff in the garbage,' she said. 'It''s not difficult to educate people on how to recycle - they just have to get in the habit.'
To obtain a recycling can call the sanitation department at 852-6714 or Waste Management at 785-3000.