The new director of the Student Association Recycling Center wants to make helping the environment as easy as a short walk down a residence hall floor.

SA Recycling Director Rachel Vellenga said one of the center’s goals this year is to get recycling bins for each residence hall floor.

The program would operate on a floor-to-floor basis, with a volunteer to sort materials and take them down for curbside pickup.

The program would be paid for with the help of a $5,000 grant received last year from Energy and Natural Resources.

The center, located just west of Stevenson Hall South, accepts aluminum, glass, plastic milk or water jugs, polystyrene, six- pack rings, newspaper, computer paper and mixed paper, which includes any paper except carbon paper and food containers. Materials can be dropped off around the clock.

In fiscal year 1991, the center recycled 162.8 tons of waste, saving about 2,587 trees worth of paper and barrels of oil.

Although recycling captures only a small part of NIU’s waste stream, Vellenga said every bit not thrown away helps the environment and saves NIU landfill costs which run about $7.80 per cubic yard.

Ironically, growing participation in recycling programs has glutted the market with material and driven prices down.

“When the market was better we were able to break even,” Vallenga said.

Vallenga said anyone interested in volunteering at the center anytime Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. can call 753-9920.