A COLLEGE IS GOING GREEN IN A BIG WAY

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Date: Saturday August 27, 2005 11:46:00 am
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    BCC strengthens its recycling program with Broward County’s help
    Broward Community College is going green in a big way.

    In partnership with the Broward
    County Recycling and Contract Administration Division, the college
    recently implemented a recycling program at its Pembroke Pines, Davie
    and Coconut Creek campuses.




    There are two types of bins: one
    for all types of paper, including newspaper, junk mail and cardboard;
    and one for glass, plastic and metal beverage containers.




    Large containers are placed in
    public and high-use areas. Paper bins are in copy centers, computer
    labs, offices and libraries, while the metal cans/bottles bin are in
    break areas, dining halls and near soda machines, said Peggy Green,
    associate professor of biology at the Coconut Creek campus and
    chairwoman of BCC’s Committee on Environmental Sustainability.




    BCC’s Fort Lauderdale campus already has a recycling program in place with Florida Atlantic University.



    Some office bins feature three
    slots: one each for recyclable paper and containers, and one for
    non-recyclable trash. The smaller receptacle for non-recyclables proves
    a point, Green said.




    “It shows that most things in the office can be recycled,” she said.



    The college also is finalizing
    talks with two vendors to create a recycling program for toner ink
    cartridges used in copy machines and computer printers.




    The recycling program is part of a
    wider effort that also includes energy efficiency and using landscaping
    that doesn’t require as much water, Green said.




    “What we’re trying to do is create
    a model program that includes curriculum and college operations,” she
    said. “We want to promote a way of living so that we will have
    sustainable resources in the future.”




    The county is providing the
    recycling bins and containers, and Waste Management Inc. will pick up
    the recyclables. In addition, the county will hire a BCC student at
    each campus to serve as recycling aides to help promote and evaluate
    the program and to monitor the bins.




    “The students last year knew this program was coming, and this fall they will be ready to support it,” Green said.



    The program replaces a prior
    recycling program that had stalled in recent years, she said. BCC
    previously operated a stand-alone recycling program, but the program
    was plagued by the fluctuations in prices paid for recyclables.




    “We pinpointed the things that went wrong with the old program, and it took us a while to develop this program,” Green said.



    BCC will absorb the cost for pick-up and split revenues with the county from the sale of the recyclables.



    “It will cost us a lot less in the
    long run,” Green said. “The more you recycle, the less you pay for
    trash disposal. It will cost a little at first, but those costs will be
    offset by the revenue we receive from selling the recyclables.”




    She added that the college is not trying to make a profit.



    “We’re out to save a lot of resources, and we’re hoping to break even,” Green said.



    The partnership with BCC is an
    extension of contracts the county has with the Broward County School
    District, said Peter Foye, the county’s director of recycling.




    “We don’t want the community to think of recycling only in their homes, but also where they work and go to school,” he said.



    Selena Scott of Hollywood, a nursing student at BCC, said the program is catching on.



    “We’re trying to recycle
    everything,” she said. “It will save the college money by cutting down
    on bulk trash, and it can help us save the Earth.”


     

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