Twice per year the Office of Sustainability Initiatives hosts its “Hard to Recycle” week. The fall event occurs in November to align with “America Recycles Day” and the spring event occurs in early May to coincide with end of the school year and to support departments as they purge and clean-up from the academic year. Every GSU campus is a part of the initiative.
The spring 2024 event saw many students, faculty, and staff participate assisting the recycling team collect approximately 6,000 pounds of hard-to-recycle items including e-waste, confidential papers, books, glass, and textiles. E-waste, including old monitors, keyboards, cords and printers made up the largest portion of the items collected. The “Hard to Recycle” events are part of the greater campus sustainability effort which diverts over 550 tons of material from landfills each year. The recycling team within Sustainability Initiatives consists of six full-time crew members who service every campus on a weekly basis. The team also includes several paid student interns who work to help process, sort and organize materials in the recycling center. Most of these interns are pursuing a degree in environmental science and/or the sustainability certificate.
The work being done by our Sustainability Initiatives team not only impacts our campus but also has a direct impact on the local community. Thanks to a partnership with Novelis and Habitat for Humanity, the revenue from all cans recycled on campus goes to support the construction of a Habitat home in Atlanta’s westside neighborhood. A home in 2022 went to a longtime GSU building services employee. Used GSU uniforms are diverted to a non-profit program called re:loom where the textiles are stripped to threads, and then up-cycled into purses, wallets, dog leashes and other items. The program is operated by the Initiative for Affordable Housing in Decatur, Ga.
These Innovative and Creative Activities foster a sense of Identity and Belonging and directly align with our Strategic Plan: Blue Print to 2033. The next “Hard to Recycle” event will be held this fall the week of November 11-15. Each one of us has the power to have a positive impact on our campus and in our community, so let’s all continue to do our part and make a difference The STATE Way!
L. Jared Abramson
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer