Through the effort of regular workers and volunteers, the Student Association Recycling Center has eliminated the garbage pile-up from the semester break.

The center will now concentrate on recycling promotion and awareness on what it does, said Dave Broustis, SA Recycling Center director.

“It makes me feel good that a lot of people were interested” enough in the environment to come out and help, Broustis said.

Eight regular recycling workers, volunteers, people sent by the Judicial Office and NIU grounds crew members contributed to the center’s cleanup, Broustis said.

Cold weather and snow on recyclable materials made the cleanup difficult, he said.

Amanda Rutter, Recycling Center assistant director, said both outside and inside the center are clean.

Rutter said she is “glad that everything is going along smoothly,” and center operators can concentrate on the two main goals of the center, maintaining efficiency and making people aware of the center.

We are “getting the word out to recycle,” Rutter said.

Rachel Vellenga, a recycling center worker, said she is “really relieved and glad” about the good response from fliers asking for volunteers at the center.

The SA Recycling Center recycles newspaper, computer paper, glass, aluminum cans and plastic milk bottles. Most work is done on Saturdays at the center, Broustis said.

In the first five weeks of the semester, the center has recycled about 200,000 pounds of garbage, he said.

Broustis said if all cans brought to NIU for vending machines—about 21,000 per week—were recycled they would be worth about $13,000.

However, Broustis said he “would assume the majority are thrown out.”

Broustis said the center is trying to expand the number of collection bins available, including putting one in DuSable Hall, to collect some of the aluminum cans thrown out there.

The center is planning a promotion as part of Earth Week, April 16-20, called “Cans Across Campus.” During the promotion, center employees will string aluminum cans across campus from the DuSable Hall to the Art Building.