To estimate how much waste being put into the garbage is recyclable, Dr. Saundra Ardrey's Senior Seminar Political Science students conducted a dumpster inventory on October 23, 2007.  The dumpster contained 24 hours of wasted generated by Academic Complex, Health Services, and Mass Media and Technology Hall.  The "Garbologists" found that 34% of the waste in the dumpster was recyclable.

During Fall 2007 MASTER Plan weekend, GreenToppers volunteers helped students and parents break down their cardboard and stack them for collection by the WKU Recycling Crew.  A total of 7,500 pounds of cardboard were diverted from the landfill-bound dumpsters!

Shantytown, co-sponsored by the Residence Hall Association and Habitat for Humanity, is an example of re-use and recycle.  To bring awareness of homelessness to the campus community, residence halls and student organizations collect cardboard to build "Shanties" on the South Lawn.  This year, Shantytown participants recycled all of the cardboard used as building materials.

The Gatton Academy students found one thing missing from their beautiful new building...recycling!  With funding support from the Academy and WKU Facilities Management, the WKU Recycling Crew set up a model program in Schneider Hall which may serve as a pilot for the greater campus.  Each common area on each floor and wing of the building has a recycling center with bins for paper, plastic, and aluminum.  Student volunteers collect recyclables throughout the building, taking paper to an outside bin for pick-up by the WKU Recycling Crew, aluminum to the "Drive to a Million" bin at Service and Supply Parking lot, and plastic to Southern Recycling.