BYU off-campus apartment complexes are embracing eco-friendly attitudes by installing Recyclops Recycling Centers on their property for their tenants.
Ryan Smith, a business major at BYU studying supply chain management, founded Recyclops as a sustainable recycling option for students living off campus. Recyclops works with landlords to build recycling centers on apartment property so students have a way to recycle.
“Right now, we are still getting things rolling, but I’ve had students contact me about how to get recycling at their complex.” Smith said. “Students want to help.”
Alpine Village and the Elms apartment complexes have installed the recycling centers. Although the recycling centers have only been installed for a short time, they are already being used by tenants. Ashley Wood, a property manager at Alpine Village, is pleased with the recycling center.
“We positioned the recycling bin right next to our trash cans so people recycle because it’s right there,” Wood said. “So far, it has been good.”
The Recyclops Recycling Centers are small 4’x8′ units that look more like sheds than dumpsters. They are built to fit in small spaces and contain recyclables from the wind. They are usually put next to trash cans to make recycling a convenient option for apartment tenants.
Recyclops is attempting to be more sustainable than student-run recycling businesses in the past, many of which end as their founders graduate and leave Provo.
“We are working to build something that can carry on after I graduate,” Smith said.
Sarah Karlinsey, a biology major from Seattle, is a member of the EcoResponse club and has been working with Smith and Recyclops.
“Recyclops seems more permanent than a lot of other recycling solutions students have created,” Karlinsey said. “A simple way to create a sustainable and efficient culture is to eliminate waste, reduce, reuse and recycle.”
The EcoResponse club teamed up with Recyclops and hosted a booth in the Wilkinson Center where students could sign a pledge to recycle. Students were also able to sign pre-written letters to their apartment landlords requesting recycling options at their complex.
Karlinsey said that the key to recycling off campus in Provo is programs with longevity.
“Recyclops has a lot of potential. As long as people get involved, this can work and stay after Ryan graduates,” Karlinsey said.
Before starting Recyclops, Smith never considered himself a “tree-hugger.” After coming home from his mission, he said he felt guilty about throwing away bottles that could easily be recycled.
“This whole project made me realize there isn’t going to be a change unless you make it,” Smith said.
In the spring and summer, fewer people in apartment complexes means fewer opportunities for people to recycle. Even with the challenge of a smaller market, Smith hopes to have recycling centers in three or four more apartment complexes by the end of the summer. Right now, he is focusing on complexes with 200 or more tenants.
“Students can help by talking to their managers and landlords,” Smith said. “If landlords know it is what students want, they are more likely to do it.”
