One recycling program already under way on the UK campus that students may not know about is the Residence Hall Association Recycling Program, which officially has been in operation since the fall semester of 1993.
Students living in residence halls pay a $2 fee included in their housing bills to fund the non-profit program.
Currently headed by Scott Razzino, a natural resources conservation senior, the program is responsible for reducing the amount of waste going to landfills in the Lexington area by students in residence halls.
"On average, residents of Lexington produce six pounds of trash per day," Razzino said. "This is higher than the national average of four and a half pounds per day. Many of the items thrown away can be recycled into new products."
The program recycles newspapers and their glossy inserts as well as loose leaf paper, copy paper, letterhead paper, white envelopes, computer paper, steel food or drinking cans, aluminum cans and some plastic products.
Razzino said recycling plastics is the most confusing part for students because of the limited types of plastic the program accepts.
"Our program accepts only plastic drinking, laundering and dishwashing containers," he said. "Included in this category are milk and juice jugs, water bottles, liquid laundry containers and two-liter bottles."
Razzino said in the future he hopes to add to the list of products the program is able to recycle.
"We are currently looking to add glass recycling to the program," he said. "Hopefully in the future students will be able to recycle clear, blue/green and brown glass. Another addition may include magazines."
Razzino said residence halls have clearly marked blue steel recycling bins in their lobby areas or basements for students to use. There are fewer bins on South and Central campus, so they haven't generated as much material as North Campus.
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