Story and photo by Jenna Arnold, Editor-in-Chief.

The recycling committee announced a return for the recycling program during the March Faculty Senate meeting.  

As reported in a recent Spectator story, VSU has not been recycling for several years despite the continued distribution of recycling bins across campus.  

For more information click here: ‘Blue’ bins or decorated trash cans – The Spectator 

It was first documented in a faculty senate meeting’s minutes in 2013 when two professors questioned the validity of where recyclable materials had gone.  

The 1990 Georgia Solid Waste Management Act mandates the University System of Georgia to “practice waste minimization and pollution prevention by adopting recycling programs for all appropriate materials, purchasing recycled products, substituting less hazardous materials and establishing micro-scale chemistry operations.” 

According to Raymond Sable, VSU’s chief of physical plant and facilities planning, for the past two years the university has failed to operate a recycling plan because of weather incidents.  

“We have had a lot of problems organizing recycling efforts for the last two years, since Idalia,” Sable said on Feb. 17. “The city stopped taking recycling for several months following each hurricane.” 

The environmental committee announced that the university will take the recyclable materials to the recycling plant every Wednesday.  

On April 28, Sable shared that the recyclable materials will be taken to the city recycling station at Five Points.  

“Each week the forepersons for custodial collect recycling from the custodial workers in the buildings,” said Sable. “They normally take recycling to the collection station on Wednesday and Thursday each week. The majority appears to be plastic bottles, aluminum cans and cardboard.” 

Dr. Thomas Aiello, VSU professor of History and Africana Studies, is an active member of the Environmental Committee and shared his hope that the program will be followed through with. 

“For all the positive things about our school, transparency hasn’t always been one of them,” he said. “I think there’s always going to be a question until we see some kind of evidence.” 

Evidence can come in more ways than just one, but he shared the importance of holding our administration to a higher standard.  

“I’m inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt,” he said. “I think vigilance should always be the order of the day. I mean, the only way you ensure that your leaders are doing the things you want them to do is to make sure they know you are watching.” 

The Spectator will continue to report on this story.