The Student Association Recycling Center, located southwest of the Stevenson South residence halls, this year hopes to avoid garbage piling up at the plant and excess trash blowing into the west lagoon, problems which the center experienced last spring and summer.

The problems that arose were due to “unreliable employees”, said Dave Broustis, director of the center.

Broustis said the plant “never looked worse” than it did last summer, adding that “It is still a mess, but it is getting cleaned up at a quick rate.”

Broustis, along with seven other center employees,is working to clean up the plant. Broustis said he believes the crew this year is more organized, reliable, and will be better able to handle the work.

He also said he is already seeing an increase in volunteers this year and said he believes this is due to the fact that “more people are interested in the environment.”

However, the center is currently seeking more volunteers., “The center needs a lot of help,” Broustis said.

The center is actively seeking help by asking heads of campus organizations to volunteer their groups. Several geology students and organizations such as The Young Democrats have been helpful in curing the staffing problems.

Also, the center is working to better promote itself to students and heighten awareness of the benefits and necessity to recycle around campus. This year the center hopes to set up a task force to educate students about recycling cause.

The center, which opened in 1976, works on campus, as well as throughout DeKalb and Sycamore.

On campus, the center has recycling bins for newspapers and computer paper. Student participation could be better with newspaper recycling, but more bins are needed, Broustis said.

Presently, three bins are on campus for the collection of newspapers. More bins do not exist because the university considers them a fire hazard, Broustis said.

The collection of computer paper has been much more successful, however. Little effort is involved because all of the computer labs on campus have bins, Broustis said.

Currently, plans are in the works to place bins for aluminum cans in the residence halls. Broustis said the first bin will be in Grant North by the end of September.

The center works throughout the DeKalb area picking up aluminum cans, plastic milk and soda jugs, glass, and newspapers.

After being picked up, the recycleable goods are brought to the center, where they are sorted and sent to larger recycling facilities. All glass and aluminum goes to DeKalb Iron and Metal. All plastic is grinded on site and sent to Wisconsin.

The center hopes to keep up with the present workload to avoid problems previously encountered, as well as heighten awareness throughout the community.