The push to be environmentally conscious has become stronger in recent years.

Most apartment complexes and off campus living however, don’t offer one of the seemingly simplest efforts to go green: recycling.

Chris Rubeck, property manager at College Housing Group, said that while the company has looked into making recycling available for tenants, they do not recycle.

“If we had a bin available to put in the parking lot, I’m sure we could do it,” Rubeck said. “Several tenants have talked to me about it, but I’m not sure if a cost factor would be involved.”

J.T Murray, manager at Pittsley Realty, said there probably wouldn’t be too much of a cost deterrent involved with recycling since they pay for garbage removal. Potential vandalism, however, keeps the company from putting recycling bins in their parking lots.

Rubeck said there used to be a recycling bin located in the Walmart parking lot, 2300 Sycamore Road, that some tenants used. It was removed after people threw more garbage in it than recycling material.

Murray fears that if recycling services were made available, people wouldn’t use them properly, as some did with the Walmart bin.

“It probably wouldn’t be used as it’s supposed to be,” Murray said. “Once [the recycling] is contaminated with garbage, it’s just not worth it.”

Murray said Pittsley looks into recycling almost every year and if they found a viable solution to prevent contamination and vandalism, they would consider making it available.

Mason Properties is a realtor that does have some form of recycling available for their tenants.
While owner Jim Mason was unavailable for comment, an employee who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed they have a recycling bin located at their main office. She also said recycling was an option at other Mason Properties locations, and tenants can call the office and request it.

While junior communications major Ian Alvarez admits he never recycled at home or after coming to NIU, he says that others probably would.

“With all the drinking students do, there probably would be a lot of beer cans and bottles that could be recycled,” Alvarez said.

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