VAMPY Visits, and Surplus Receives Interesting Items

Today, our department hosted a fieldtrip for 7th -- 10th grade students of VAMPY (Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth). The students could only choose one course to study, and some chose sustainability! Our staff spent the morning setting up for the event.

The Recycling and Surplus Coordinator, Sara, explained to the students how our department runs recycling for WKU's campus. She continued by explaining how the new surplus program helps save WKU money (and helps the environment!).

Sara leading a question and answer session about recycling and
sustainability with the VAMPY students.

Apart from knowledge, the students also took home a free water bottle and t-shirt from WKU's Earth Day (which was April 16). Like most students, they were excited to receive the freebies!

An Earth Day t-shirt and water bottle
that was given to each VAMPY student.

In Surplus news, we received some interesting items from the Health Services building: an electrosurgical generator and a container full of crutches! We never know what kind of items we're going to receive, but we always have fun trying to find creative ways to reuse them on campus.

With Recycled Love,

WKU Recycling and Surplus 

Cardboard Drive Recycles Tons... Literally!

Over the past two weeks, WKU students have been returning to their dorms with heads ready for learning, and hands full of... cardboard?

Despite the busyness of a new semester, students, parents, and faculty have graciously been donating their cardboard for recycling. Our recycling crew set-up cardboard bins outside every dorm, for a total of 13 bins we were responsible for.

Rachel Hoge, a student worker, is pictured maintaining a

cardboard container outside of Minton Hall.

Our crew collected cardboard throughout the day... and every collection was strenuous. In order to correctly recycle the cardboard, we removed all packaging materials and broke down each individual box. As shown below, our trucks were quickly brimming with recycling.

 When our trucks became this full, we'd haul everything to the compactor. Compacting one load would take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, which made it difficult to keep up with overflowing cardboard.

Zach Brumback, a student worker, is pictured hauling cardboard to the compactor.

  But when it all the move-in days were done, we knew all the labor had been worth it. We successfully diverted 6.9 tons of cardboard from landfill dumpsters!

We appreciate all the efforts of the grounds crew, HRL, and all the parents and students who participated. You've all truly made a difference!

With Recycled Love,

The WKU Recycling Crew