A local green-living advocacy organization is pushing efforts to expand curbside recycling to Starkville apartments.
Since the start of curbside recycling last month, the effort has shown great success. The curbside pick-up program is a collaborative effort between the city of Starkville and Starkville Recycling.
Thousands of Mississippi State University students and Starkville residents living in apartments may soon have an opportunity to be more environmentally friendly.
Aimed at promoting green living, Green Starkville is hoping to make curbside recycling available to apartment residents.
Jeremiah Dumas, Green Starkville board of directors member and director of the Environmental Collaborative Office at MSU, said over 800 Starkville homes have signed up for curbside recycling pick-up so far.
“We have had two pick-ups and both were very successful,” Dumas said. “The first pick-up resulted in almost six tons of recycling, and the second pick-up resulted in three tons.”
Nicholas DiColandrea, vice president of the group, said the program is going very well and many citizens are pleased with the new curbside recycling service so far.
“From personal interactions with neighbors and people around town, the reaction to the curbside recycling program has been very positive,” DiColandrea said. “People have found it to be very simple and a convenient way to make a difference in their community.”
Dumas said the next step for the recycling program is expanding the pick-up program.
“At this time, we only pick up residential areas,” he said. “With the high number of apartment areas in the community, it is important we move in the direction to provide curbside recycling in all areas of the city.”
Students seem to be aware and interested in the new recycling efforts. Sophomore biology major Rebecca Murray said she knew about curbside recycling, but is not sure how it would work in her large apartment complex.
“I would be interested in getting it if they do decide to offer it for apartments, though,” Murray said.
Curbside recycling is on the rise, but the MSU campus is full of dormitory residents and thousands of students who walk the campus grounds everyday where curbside recycling is not yet offered.
Sophomore apparel, textiles and merchandising major Samantha Ashford said she thinks MSU’s recycling program is helpful and said she recycles while on campus, but lives in Ackerman where curbside recycling is not offered.
“The university does a lot already to help students recycle,” Ashford said. “I saw someone picking up recycling from the library and a recycling truck on campus just the other day.”
Ashford also said she does not think students recycle enough in general.
“Most of it is just laziness,” Ashford said. “I see people throw trash on the ground when the recycling bin is just steps away.”
Ashford said if she did live in Starkville, she would definitely have curbside recycling and thinks it is a good idea to help Starkville’s recycling problem.
“I think it will help,” Ashford said. “The pick-up should make [recycling] a lot easier for people.”
Murray said she thinks the university can help the recycling issue, particularly on campus.
“It would help if [the university] put more recycling bins around campus and in plain sight,” Murray said.
DiColandrea said he encourages MSU students to be serious about recycling and protecting their home.
“There is a sense of pride when people stand up for their home and when they are committed to keeping it as clean and beautiful for the next generation of students and families to come,” DiColandrea said. “When visitors come from around the Southeast and visit MSU and Starkville, to find that we have nobody caring to recycle or taking a part in recycling programs, the image that sends to the nation is not the one we want.”
DiColandrea said students should be proud to attend MSU and recycling shows the world our community cares about its future.
“It is time to break the stereotype of a lazy and fat Mississippian one plastic bottle, newspaper and soda can at a time,” DiColandrea said.
Students living in a house within Starkville city limits can partake in the free curbside recycling program by visiting the Sanitation Department to sign up. Students living in apartments or residence halls can bring them to one of the recycling drop-off sites throughout Starkville.