By Emily Temple (Whetstone staff writer)

One organization’s effort to go green has everyone on Wesley campus seeing blue.

Sustainable Wesley has installed about 800 recycling bins around Wesley College, said Kenny Ciccoli, a member of the group.

“We ordered 1,200 bins,” Ciccoli said.  “That includes battery disposals, which we have yet to pass out.”

About 540 of the bins distributed have been placed in the dorm rooms of residence halls, he said.

The bins were made possible through a grant from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and ordered from Busch Systems, an Ontario-based manufacturer of recycling bins.

“At face value, what we were asking for was about $90,000,” Ciccoli said.  “Our grant was for $47,000.  Busch Systems was constantly willing to lessen the price and move things around so that we could make it happen.”

Freshman Jimmy Poole said he is happy about the program, but not about his room’s bin.

“They are far too small for two people to use,” he said.  “I personally drink a lot of tea and water from bottles, so it’s really ridiculous for me to put all of that in such a tiny bin to take out every two days.”

Poole said he’s started using the recycling bin for trash and his regular trash can for recyclables.

“I think the recycling bins are a good idea,” he said.  “But not to accommodate two people.”

Freshmen Paige Goodskey agreed.

“There are some people who don’t recycle at all, but for avid recyclers, they need a bigger bin so they don’t have to take it out every day,” she said.

Sustainable Wesley hopes that the new program will make all students “avid recyclers,” Ciccoli said.

“The entire population needs to know about recycling, to the point where it’s just something that happens naturally,” he said.

The idea of bringing recycling bins to campus began with former SGA President Kira Tieman, Ciccoli said.

Small Recycling Bins

Small Recycling Bins

Sustainable Wesley plans to continue its efforts around Wesley in other ways.

Its weekly cleanups, which have been part of the organization since last fall, will be continued this semester.

There are also plans for new activities.

“We want to have awareness events,” Ciccoli said.  “So students know what can be recycled, and how to recycle.  That’s kind of the goal, so we will be doing things that are educational and attempting to fundraise as another aspect of awareness.”

Some ideas Sustainable Wesley is considering are a 5K run, a community garden, and composting food waste in the cafeteria.

“Depending on the concern or desire, we were also thinking of implementing a bin system for organizations,” Ciccoli said.  “Every organization can design their own bin and set it up around campus.  The organization is getting awareness, and students are directly involved in recycling, which is huge.”

Goodskey said that in spite of its limitations, the recycling program is a good first step for the college.

“Everywhere you go, there’s at least one recycle bin,” she said.  “I absolutely love that this has been brought to our campus.”

Anyone with questions about the bins may email sophomore Betty Lee, president of Sustainable Wesley.