NIU started “going green” back in 1980.

The recycling program is there to remind students how important recycling is, said NIU energy specialist Mary Alice Drain.

Drain said the program originated in 1970. NIU originally didn’t have recycling bins, but students organized drop-offs for these materials in the community.

According to the Web site of The 3R’s, recycling at NIU, students who organized the recycling program in 1980 were given a fenced-in enclosure by the university to base their operations. The students then received support from the Student Association.

The Student Association Recycling Program (SARP) moved their operations into an unused barn in 1986, which in 1992 was renamed the Tom Kennedy Recycling Center. SARP provided the needs of recycling for the administrative, residential and academic buildings.

Drain said a small part of going green is recycling.

“Recycling is one little property of taking care and doing our part in the world,” she said.

NIU’s recycling is collected by Waste Management and taken to a warehouse in Lombard. The recycling is then sorted by hand, and then sold again for reuse, she said.

Drain said Building Services empties the garbage and recycling bins at the same time. She added the garbage bags are tied and the recycling bags stay untied then the bags are thrown away in two separate Dumpsters behind every building.

Recycling is not the most important concept of the 3Rs, defined as Recycle, Reduce and Reuse, Drain said.

“Someone can reduce their waste by buying unwanted packing,” she said. “Also reducing water and energy use as much as someone can will be helpful.” She also said reusing is another important concept.

“Don’t purchase things to throw away, get enough life in it or repurpose it,” she said.

Megan Gloeckner, freshman public health administration major, is so concerned with recycling that she formed a green team in her high school.

“I always made sure that the paper got recycled,” Gloeckner said. “I always tried to maintain it, and made sure a lot of people followed it.”

Gloeckner hopes people do not take the world for granted, and do their part in helping it.

“I do believe we were given this country and we have to take care of it,” she said.