SUU Joins Forces to Recognize America Recycles Day

Published: November 12, 2012 | Read Time: 2 minutes

Southern Utah University goes green on Thursday, November 15, in a nationwide effort to promote recycling, America Recycles Day 2012. For the fourth year in a row SUU’s Center for Sustainability and Earth Club will join forces with organizations in Iron County to recognize the national recycling day.

“Recycling is the easiest thing we can all do to save energy, conserve natural resources and create green jobs,” said Brenda Pulley, vice president of recycling programs at Keep America Beautiful.  “Collectively, through events like these, we aim to make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year.”

Events scheduled for the day include fun, educational activities about the benefits of recycling, prize drawings and a free screening of “Wasteland,” a documentary about a renowned artist photographing the world’s largest landfill and its workers in Brazil.

Along with the games and prizes, SUU Sustainability staff will be available to answer questions regarding campus and community recycling options. On Thursday, community members are invited to bring unwanted paper waste to be securely shredded and recycled.

Those in attendance will also see the progress of local schools’ Green Teams, recycling groups at all Iron County elementary schools as well as charter school Gateway Preparatory Academy, which have been teaching students how to recycle and why it’s important. As of September 2012, these schools had recycled over 5,000 lbs. of paper, equivalent to 60 trees.

This is just one example of partnerships between SUU and off campus organizations that have been successfully implemented in the four years since the University formalized its green efforts under the Center for Sustainability.

From a national perspective, Pulley commends such organized and community-driven efforts, applauding the Center for Sustainability’s growing influence across southern Utah.

America Recycles Day is a national program of Keep America Beautiful, dedicated to educating and encouraging action to promote individual and organizational recycling in communities across the nation.

SUU’s observance of the day will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Starlight Room on the second floor of the Sharwan Smith Student Center.

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