Grant will boost number of campus recycling bins

recycle bins

Bins, similar to the one shown above, designed
for use as recyclable beverage receptacles will soon
appear on the Northwest campus thanks to an in-kind
grant from the National Recycling Coalition and The
Coca-Cola Company.

Northwest is one of 85 in-kind grant recipients out of 1,400 applicants nationwide that will receive free recycling bins through a program sponsored by the National Recycling Coalition The Coca-Cola Company.

Grants were awarded in 32 states and the District of Columbia to colleges and universities, K-12 schools, cities, civic groups and Native American tribes. Recipients were chosen by the NRC based on estimated impact of recovering beverage containers from the waste stream, ability to sustain a recycling program and support of recycling education.

Northwest is widely recognized for its commitment to recycling. Associate Director of Environmental Services Lezlee Johnson said the University first began collecting wastepaper for conversion into pelletized fuel used to generate energy to heat and cool the campus in 1993.

Johnson noted that the bin grant will increase Northwest’s capacity to keep used beverage bottles -- which are increasing in volume -- out of the waste stream. The University currently collects about a ton of bottles a week, or approximately 12 cubic yards, in addition to converting 10-13 tons of paper and cardboard into fuel pellets.

Northwest produces about 15 tons of non-recycled waste a week, which means current recycling levels prevent almost half of the University’s total trash and refuse output from ending up in a landfill.

“We were very pleased to qualify for the bin grant,” Johnson said. “There is no match required, which means acquiring these bins to increase our recycling volume carries zero cost for the University.”

The bins are designed to be installed outdoors, and Northwest will receive about 10 of the containers, which will be placed near waste receptacles in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic.

“The Bin Grant Program is designed to help communities and organizations jump-start or expand their recycling programs and to further promote recycling of used bottles and cans,” said Scott Vitters, director of sustainable packaging for Coca-Cola. “By making more recycling bins available, we hope to encourage people to make recycling a habit in their daily lives.”

The Bin Grant Program provides recycling bins directly to recipients and leverages the purchasing power of the NRC. Grants are offered twice a year through an online application process.

For more information, please contact:

Anthony Brown,
News Bureau Manager
E-Mail: abrown@nwmissouri.edu
Phone: 660.562.1704
Fax: 660.562.1900

Northwest Missouri State University
219 Administration Building,
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468

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