Jehnifer Niklas dug through 150 pounds of garbage and discovered nearly 40 percent it was recyclable, proving to ASU and the City of Mesa the Polytechnic campus needs a recycling program.
As sustainability coordinator and president of the Students Act Now for Sustainability club at the Polytechnic campus, wildlife restoration senior Niklas conducted a trash audit Sept. 12 to determine the percentage of recyclable materials thrown away.
“I needed to compile real data to prove Poly needed a recycling program,” Niklas said. “My boss told me that Tempe’s campus had done a trash audit, and I thought that’d be the best way to prove the need.”
The trash audit proved a recycling program would save the Polytechnic campus money, as well as drastically reduce ASU’s carbon footprint.
“The facilities management spends around $45,000 on was removal services each year,” Niklas said. “Quick math reveals that facilities management stands to save $17,325.”
Currently only the student union recycles; Poly assistant dean of student affairs Michael Mader started the program.
“We make it part of everyone’s job description to do something to support the program,” Mader said. “We recycle in the offices, then a student employee empties the bin into a bigger bin, then that bin gets dumped into the bigger bin and is taken outside for the City of Mesa to pick up each Wednesday.”
Niklas estimated the start up cost for a campus-wide program would be around $10,000.
A portion of Polytechnic’s allocation of the student program facility fee will be applied to the recycling program. She also expects the City of Mesa will give funds.
The $10,000 will be applied to purchasing a solar powered golf cart, estimated at $7,700, and recycling bins with the remainder of the money.
Annual costs will include golf cart maintenance, employee wages and reusable gloves, she said.
“I am hoping [Mesa] will show us support in terms of monetary donations — even subsidizing the entire startup cost of the program,” Niklas said.
Kelli Collins, community and outreach supervisor for Mesa’s solid waste management department, said the city is interested in promoting anything that’s environmentally friendly.
“It’s always great to get a group that has the passion to get a program started so we can give them the equipment and support they need to get it started,” Collins said.
Niklas is currently writing a grant application to get federal funds to create a paid recycling coordinator or to hire a full-time resource manager.
Kelley Stewart, associated student body president for the Polytechnic campus and director of Arizona Student Association, she said is surprised that the Students Act Now for Sustainability club is starting the program and paying for it.
“If we have to buy the recycling bins ourselves, we will,” she said. “It’s something that the University should buy; it’s not right that the students are buying them. But if we care about the environment, we can’t wait and keep saying ‘We need it, we need it,’ but it may never come.”
Polytechnic campus spokeswoman Christine Lambrakis chose not to comment, aside from saying ASU does not have a stance yet because the recycling initiative is so new.
Stewart said sometimes students taking the initiative and spending their own money is a powerful way for the University to step up and meet their needs.
Niklas said she hopes that since initial funding is coming from student funds, students will view the project as their own.
“If students see they have personal ownership of the program, maybe they will be more likely to take ownership of their role as environmental stewards,” she said.
Reach the reporter at amy.fleishans@asu.edu.
