In today’s environmentally sensitive world, campus recycling has become an increasing concern for students and faculty nationwide.

But for one University of Iowa student, campus recycling has become a crusade of epic proportions.

“I had no idea this would be such a struggle,” said Chuck Jones, an Iowa junior who has been working with administrators for the past two years to implement his campus recycling program.

Two years ago, when he was elected president of his dorm, Jones started a voluntary recycling program in which recyclables could be picked up from students’ dorm rooms.

“We needed to get some kind of recycling program,” Jones said. “Students wanted a way to recycle. There were a few campus drop boxes, but not any real recycling program on campus.”

The University of Iowa began a recycling program in 1989, but Jones said he noticed a decline in its effectiveness.

The Northwestern recycling effort echoes the philosophy of student involvement.

Tiffany Grobelski, co-chairwoman of Students for Ecological and Environmental Development, said the group is working to “promote recycling awareness on campus.”

SEED’s work relies on three methods: encouraging, educating, and increasing the accessibility of recycling, said Grobelski, a Weinberg junior.

Unlike efforts at NU, Jones’ early success in raising recycling awareness met a brick wall when dealing with university administrators, he said.

“It took two months to schedule an appointment with bureaucrats,” Jones said. “First I was told that we couldn’t store recyclables in the dorm and that any recycling program must be monitored at all times.”

Jones said he was also told that it “violated fire codes to have drop boxes,” although dorm halls contained similar bins for trash and other refuse.

When the university recycling contract came up for renewal two years ago, Jones filed an application to expand his work across campus.

Three or four months after facing paperwork road blocks, the university finally approved Jones as a vendor, allowing him to apply for the contract.

His application is still under consideration.

“The operation may stay as it is, performed by university personnel, or the contract may be awarded to a private vendor,” said Mark Fettkether of Iowa Facilities Services. “If the decision is made to go with a private vendor, I feel fairly certain the main reason will be to reduce cost.”

According to Jones, however, his plan could save the university more than $60,000 a year because his operation would use a smaller vendor.

“We would have a much lower waste removal cost,” he said. “By now, we could have saved $120,000 and millions and millions of recyclables.”

The recycling program at NU is operated by the university’s own Facilities Management department, which transports recyclables to points where a private vendor then picks them up.

“Recycling bins are emptied by custodians or housekeepers,” said Julie Cahillane, manager of recycling and refuse at NU. “These employees transport recyclables to designated collection points. From there, our contracted hauler picks the items up.”

The major difference between programs at NU and Iowa is that NU handles refuse and recycling under one contract, whereas Iowa handles their recycling program separately.

“A similar situation is less likely to happen here (at NU),” Cahillane said. “We are a huge contract and a much bigger, labor-intensive program. With our set-up, number of buildings, and density, it is easier.”

Despite facing obstacles, Jones continues his efforts at Iowa, as it “is an important issue to students.”

“The only thing that will cause change is if they have to change,” he said.

Reach Laura Olson at [email protected].