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Special Events Recycling

Mission

As part of our education and outreach mission, the Special Event Recycling process provides waste management alternatives at University events and venues. Our intention is to heighten awareness and demonstrate proper waste management techniques to our University community and the public.

Trash to Treasure

Trash to Treasure Poster

Each spring, Penn State students who live on campus are encouraged to donate unwanted items to the Trash to Treasure program, which is a cooperative effort between Penn State and the Centre County United Way. Collection barrels for donations are placed on the first floor of all residence halls during the last week of spring semester, and certain areas are designed for rugs and furniture. The donations are then picked up, sorted, and sold at Beaver Stadium. The 2005 Sale generated over $50,000 for local United Way agencies and diverted almost 75 tons from our landfill. For local emergency food programs, over 4 tons of food was collected. For more information go to www.hfs.psu.edu/treasure

Beaver Stadium Recycling Effort

Boy and Girl Scouts collect recyclables at home football games. The recyclables are marketed and the money donated to United Way. In 2005, seven of these efforts captured 25 tons of recyclables and raised $1,200 for the United Way.

Post Game Recycling Volunteer Effort

Student volunteers meet a half hour after home football games at the Joe Paterno statue. This crew receives training and then collects plastic bottles from the stadium stands for recycling. All proceeds from the sale of the bottles support the United Way.

Bryce Jordan Recycling Effort

During entertainment, concert and athletic events at the University's 16,000 seat Indoor Center, recycling bins are placed around the arena. From this passive capture method, Penn State has diverted 13 tons from our landfill in 2005, raising $1,100 for United Way.

Four Diamonds Recycling Event

Annually, Penn State students organize a dance marathon to benefit the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State's Children's Hospital in Hershey, Pennsylvania. This year(2006), over $4.2 million was raised for this charity, most from the marathon, though the collection of aluminum cans in the 9 weeks prior to the February event generated additional dollars. To read an article on the event, please see: http://www.opp.psu.edu/about/newsandviews/jun2002.pdf

Second Mile Recycling Program

Annually, Penn State's recycling program arranges for recycling containers to be present at the Second Mile Charity Golf Tournament. Proceeds from the sale of the recyclables cans, glass, and plastic bottles support the Second Mile's efforts to provide opportunities for young people to develop life skills and self esteem. Recently, Penn State decided to incorporate the tournament into its routine recycling program and therefore it no longer generates dollars for the youth charity.

100 Ton Glass Challenge

Students are encouraged to recycle glass in their residence halls. For every ton over 100 tons, the tip fee value of the materials at $66 per ton will be donated to Residence Life for their discretionary use. Individuals from the Opportunity Network for Employment (O.N.E.) program are employed for this effort.

Newspaper Readership Scholarship

Penn State's Newspaper Readership Program offers a new perspective on national and world views to students, as well as scholarship dollars. Since 1997, students have had access to the New York Times, USA Today and the Centre Daily Times for free through this program. It also generates 1.6 tons of newspapers for the waste stream daily. Jointly with the University's housing and janitorial services, Penn State recycling collects newspapers placed in special receptacles, markets them through Onyx Waste Services. After this waste company is paid for preparing the recyclables for sale, all remaining profits are donated to Penn State's Scholarship funds. Over the past nine years, over $70,000 has been generated for scholarships by this program. For more details, visit http://www.newspapers.psu.edu/scholarship.shtml.

Special Request (One day) Events

As part of our education and outreach mission, the Special Event Recycling process provides waste management alternatives at University events/venues. Our intention is to heighten awareness and demonstrate proper waste management techniques to our University community and the public. Annually, we set up special recycling bins for the following events: Ag Progress Days, Ag Alumni tailgates, Ag Alumni graduation luncheon, Earth Day, Arts Festival, Fourth Fest, Special Olympics, and the Zero Waste Tailgate. These special initiatives help increase our capture. To request recycling at an event, please complete this PDF Document form.

Recycling Tours

To increase recycling awareness, OPP provides tours of our recycling program conducted by Al Matyasovsky, director of the program. Al also visits other universities and colleges to share our knowledge and practices. This process is reciprocal. During every trip, Al returns with new ideas for our program learned from his counterparts at other institutions.

This spring(2006), the Recycling Program will be joining with Penn State's Center on Sustainability to offer joint tours at the Energy Expo. The event will be held on March 31st and April 1st at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.

If you are interested in taking a tour of Penn State's Recycling facilities, please email Leslie Hagen at LCH7@psu.edu, and we will notify you of upcoming tours.

 

Revised August 2007