Last semester, Ithaca College Environmental Society undertook a campaign to attain a recycling redemption center on campus. ICES thought such a center was a good idea because the recycling rate on this campus needs to be increased. Also, if cans are not redeemed for those 5 cents (the New York state refund), that money goes back to the beverage companies, leaving them a surplus of about $180 million a year.

Ithaca’s highest recycling rates occurred last year during Recycle Mania, a month-long contest in which our college competed against other schools in the area to see which could recycle the most materials. Our highest weekly rate during the contest was 28 percent recycled materials, which isn’t that high considering we were competing. Usually, the rate is even lower than that. We can do better.

A redemption center on campus would encourage more people to recycle. Additionally, a redemption center on campus would make recycling easier to do. For one, many of Ithaca’s students do not have cars to transport their empty cans and bottles to a local redemption center off campus. Also, because Resource and Environmental Management Program (REMP) would initially pay each student or faculty member 5 cents per can, there would be a great incentive to redeem cans and bottles.

The recyclables would then have to be sorted and either dropped off at a local recycling co-op or picked up. Who would sort them, you ask? Student organizations could do this as a fundraiser for their groups. The group could keep the entire refund. Or, the person redeeming the cans and bottles could keep 5 cents and give the remaining 1.5 cents to the group (cans and bottles would have to be sorted, and this sorting is worth about 1.5 cents to any co- op).

Unfortunately, there is no space for the redemption center on campus. Some suggested putting one in the buy-back bookstore, behind the post office, but there were too many complications involved. Another idea, which is extremely plausible, is to have a mobile redemption center. The truck would be parked at designated areas around campus at designated times, and the recyclables could be redeemed on the spot. The co-op could pick them up from there. With all of the campus remodeling projects in mind, maybe a permanent space for a center could be created.

You might be wondering if members of the Ithaca College community think a redemption center is a good idea. Yes, in fact, they do. ICES conducted a survey last semester to gauge opinion of having an on-campus redemption center. Of the 260 people surveyed, 93 percent of them thought that such a center would increase the college’s recycling rate, while 82 percent said they would use a redemption center regularly. Most — 85 percent — stated that they recycled on campus. A surprising result was the 38 percent who live off campus and who said they still favored the idea. Therefore, there is already support for an on-campus recycling center.

ICES plans to present a proposal, which shows that there is support for a redemption center, to the administration. The center would increase recycling, return money to consumers and help the college and its student organizations raise funds. Students have shown — and need to continue to show — support for this idea.