Trash is a growing problem around the world. Recently, due to the state of the environment, people in America have started to take steps to counter act the effects of our waste production.
“Going green” has almost become a pop culture cliché. However, Tyler still has not quite taken steps like other cities to make recycling readily available.
Earlier in the year a few students were talking about Tyler Junior College’s desperate need to put recycling bins around campus.
Jessica Hall, Art Club president, and Sallie Byrd, Art Club member, brought this idea to art instructor Derrick White, and a plan of action was put into place.
What started out as a few concerned students has become a campus wide crusade.
Hall took her proposal to the first student Student Senate meeting and joined that day as the new head of policy and procedures.
Hall said she did this because she wanted the people who might not be as apt to get involved to still have a voice in the Student Senate.
Hall and Byrd worked with White and Art Department Chair Chris Stewart, to implement recycling in the Art Department.
“They hosted our events and gave us a place to recycle,” Hall said.
However, Hall, working with the Student Senate was able to make her requests known for the desire of campus-wide recycling.
Brent Krivokapith, Club Tennis Vice President and member of the Student Affairs Committee, found a recycling company out of Fort Worth willing to take on the task and make it profitable for TJC.
“Basically it worked out to be the perfect scenario,” Krivokapith said.
Jackie Ellis from Bears Recycling coincidently was moving to Tyler to take better care of her and her husband’s business.
Ellis said she implemented a system like this for another school in Tarrant County dumpsters emptied a few times a week, and they actually profited from their efforts.
“If we pay people to recycle, it motivates them to,” Ellis said.
Ellis said she wanted to do something good after being brunt out in the automobile industry. She talked to her daughter who suggested she recycle. Ellis started saving newspapers and eventually earned $1,900 off recycling just old papers she collected.
The Student Senate is working on a resolution to be proposed in an upcoming student senate meeting.
“This is something that people have been wanting for a long time and I don’t understand why it’s just now happening,” Hall said.
