Recycling: Cashing in on trash

Sale of new products earns around $10,000 to $50,000

While students seldom may consider the benefits of recycling vs. trashing a plastic water bottle, disposing recyclables properly not only benefits the environment, but also cuts down costs, according to workers at JMU recycling.

"The main benefit is the cut in cost [for dumping the trash]," said Anthony Mancuso, operations manager of recycling.

According to Mancuso, JMU has a waste stream of approximately 3,000 tons per year. This includes all trash coming out of dorms and academic buildings, to food scraps from D-hall and grass clippings and broken tree limbs. With a disposal cost of $50 a ton, this adds up to $150,000 each year.

Averaging a 35 percent recycling rate, which is "pretty good," according to Mancusco, the recycling program collects everything from various types of paper, glass, plastic, tin, steel and cardboard.

Once accumulated, these objects are moved to a dump yard in the City of Harrisonburg. Workers from the county jail separate all commingled objects. Eventually, everything ends up at reprocessors who transform the discarded material into something new.

JMU makes around $10,000 to $50,000 from the sale of new products. However, the program's goal is not to make money.

"We save more money than we make," Mancuso said.

JMU recycling previously ran programs to reach out to students, but these eventually fizzled out due to lack of involvement.

"Students do a good job at recycling already," Mancuso said. The goal right now is to encourage participation among faculty and staff by placing small cardboard recycling bins in offices with notes explaining its purpose inside.

In the spring, JMU recycling is planning an event called "Trash on the commons." In this one-day event, trash from various on-campus buildings will be hauled to the commons, where volunteers then will sort through the mess.

Twelve to 14 student employees assist with the recycling process.

"Student employees are the success of the recycling program," said Tony Smith, director of housekeeping and recycling. "They are the ones that get it going."

Mancuso, a 2000 JMU graduate, was a student employee before he began working full time. JMU recycling helps schedule around the student's needs and the actual tasks involved vary.

Sophomore John Everett, a student employee, said he liked his job.

"We pick up trash throughout the day, and get to ride in big pickup trucks," he said. "It's awesome."

According to Mancusso, long-term goals for the recycling program include purchasing a pricey composting unit that will morph food waste into top soil to be used by landscapers. This will save money in food disposal costs, as well as in the purchase of new top soil.

For more information on JMU recycling, contact Mancuso at mancusap or call x8-3444.