In an effort to increase the amount of recycling facilities available on campus, USF’s Student Environmental Association arranged to make recycling bins available at residence halls.

Along with Resident Services and Physical Plant, SEA designated three locations as pilot sites to test the response for recycling efforts. The locations chosen include: near Holly A, behind Kosove and behind Maple Hall.

SEA initially made efforts in early spring to make recycling containers available at residence halls.

Lily Lewis, president of SEA, said the organization wanted to make more recycling facilities available at USF in addition to the bins located on Sycamore Drive.

Lewis met with Physical Plant and Tom Kane, director of Residence Services, and they agreed to assign three locations and the university agreed to purchasing recycling containers to be used at the sites.

Six recycling bins for paper were purchased for $78 each, with two to be placed at each site. Lewis said USF also purchased containers for the disposal of aluminum materials, which included four steel drums at $70.29 and four covers for the containers for $329 each.

Lewis said recycling efforts were once attempted by putting recycling containers in the kitchen areas of residence halls, but cleanliness became a problem because recyclable materials weren’t washed or they remained in the area for long periods of time.

Lewis added that staff from Physical Plant has agreed to pick up the containers from the three trial locations.

Lewis said SEA is working on taking the same approach to setup recycling containers near the Marshall Center and at dining areas.

“We’re trying to expand recycling everywhere on campus,” Lewis said.

SEA has more than 450 signatures on a petition that stresses the need for more recycling facilities at USF and on Tuesday night SEA’s recycling committee presented its resolution for the Student Government Senate to vote on. The resolution states that the USF student body will support efforts made for “on-campus residents to have recycling facilities available to them” and that food service areas, which sell bottles or aluminum cans, should provide recycling bins.

Due to the Senate’s agenda, voting on the resolution was postponed until its April 6 meeting.

Lewis said the petition and resolution, if passed, could help increase the number of recycling facilities on campus if they decide to address administration with the issue.

“It just shows the student body supports it and it holds weight when students approach administration,” Lewis said.