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The Murray Environmental Student Society, Wal-Mart and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Murray/Calloway County have partnered to provide students with opportunities to recycle items most would simply throw away.
Murray State facilities accommodate efforts to recycle paper, plastics and aluminum, but the ink cartridge and cell phone drive is yet another way Murray Environmental Student Society is allowing all of us to do our part to "go green."
On Nov. 7, the local Big Brothers/Big Sisters charity delivered a decorated mailbox to Winslow Dining Hall for students to mail their old cartridges and cellular devices.
Holly Runyon, president of MESS and junior from Rolla, Mo., said there are recycling bins in each residential college and in the Curris Center. Runyon said the Winslow location is an additional effort to make sure all students, faculty and staff are aware of the opportunity to practice environmental responsibility.
Chief of Staff Josh Jacobs, said from the on-campus recycling bins, the old ink cartridges and cell phones will go to Wal-Mart.
"Wal-Mart will then send all the recycled goods to their central recycling plant and whatever revenue generated will be returned to the Murray/Calloway County Big Brothers/Big Sisters program," Jacobs said.
Jacobs said a local unit of court appointed special advocates working with children will receive recycled cell phone revenue.
Runyon said MESS took off "about five years ago" when students became increasingly determined to fight pollution.
"As long as students show a willingness to protect the environment, the University and MESS will provide them with the opportunity," Runyon said.
Though there are ample opportunities for students to do their part, Runyon said she encourages everyone to participate, as there are "still ideas we have not thought of, and initiatives we have not taken."
MESS meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. every Thursday in Carr Health, room 103. Runyon said there are absolutely no requirements to join, but volunteer efforts are welcome.
"Our goal is to conserve resources and also reduce waste that goes into land fills," Runyon said. "Even more than that, this is an effort to get University affiliates to think differently about how they use materials. I believe it is important to recycle absolutely everything possible. Hopefully this is one way to get people to start making a habit of recycling their waste."
Jacobs said it is the University's responsibility to expand opportunities for students to do their part.
"We can't do it by ourselves," he said. Runyon said she agrees. "MESS is aimed at changing the way we view society and our role in it," she said. "We want people to know that they have a really important personal responsibility in this cause."
David Borum can be reached at david.borum @murraystate.edu.
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