Recycle at SERC

College is one of the easiest places to fall into the trap of just tossing everything in the bin. I know the struggle; students have to worry about papers, exams, their social lives and trying to squeeze some sleep in here and there. But as students learn how to live alone for the first time, they have to get rid of their “waste” somehow. 

As students, it is important that we take responsibility and be mindful of where we place our disposables. Our college has a list of what can and can’t be recycled on campus from SERC.  

It is commonly known that paper, bottles and cans are recyclable, but did you know that many municipalities accept batteries for recycling? Some stores, such as Halfords, have in-store collection programs to recycle batteries- we also have battery recycling bins on various SERC campuses! 

Ink cartridges go pretty quickly for many college students, so they might want to consider seeking out a store like PC world, where they can recycle cartridges for rewards such as store credit. Surely, these solutions are better than throwing these items in with unfinished food from last night’s all-nighter. 

Of course, students might be so pressed for time that they are tempted to do the latter. To counter this, I suggest gathering a set of recyclable materials ahead of time and taking one trip a week to your local council dumping facilities and really make a difference in your community when it comes to recycling.  

Instead of bringing a plastic bottle of lemonade or water from your local shop to college, bring in your own refillable water bottle-there are hydration stations in your SERC campus. It’s the small things that go a long way when reducing your carbon footprint in today’s society. Be the change that you want to see and hopefully others will make that change and be more environmentally friendly.  

The recycling paths open to students are limitless – it is just a matter of consciousness and motivation. So why not join in the GoGreen movement and SERC and reduce, reuse and recycle! 

Stay focused, 

David