With students moving back in after the summer months, dumpsters are piling up and overflowing with boxes and trash.

This garbage is loaded into trucks and sent off to the DeKalb County Landfill in Cortland, contributing to the 280 tons of garbage that is added per day.

One local business is doing everything they can to fight the excessive build-up of garbage and join the effort to “go green.”

The management of Star Properties has recognized the issue of garbage especially around move-in time.

“The bottom line is that [recycling] is just the right thing to do,” said Office Manager Scott Zondag. “But it also helps keep our properties clean and boosts the curb appeal.”

Star Properties has hired approximately four to five workers to go around and sort out the recyclable materials in their dumpsters. These materials are then taken to the recycling facilities of Waste Management, 115 Simonds Ave.

Many other apartment complexes in DeKalb do not recycle due to the costs.

Waste Management has recycling services available but there is a fee for a separate recycling container which proves to be quite a deterrent for some businesses.

“We wish we had containers that they put out,” said Glen Jennings, head grounds keeper for Star Properites. “But they charge you astrological amounts of money.”

Star Properties has found it to be much more cost efficient to do their own recycling, and this also helps to decrease the cost of waste management as they have less waste in their dumpsters.

Jennings said he takes approximately seven loads of recycling to Waste Management per day.

“Within the last four years, we have recycled approximately 30-40 tons of materials that would otherwise be sent to the landfill,” Jennings said.

He estimated that about 20 tons of garbage would be enough to circumference the entire brick base of the Holmes Student Center.

Brenden Krahl, senior business major, helps Jennings with the job.

“I didn’t know it would be this much work,” Krahl said.

With a total of 63 properties, these workers can put in 12-15 hours a day sorting through the mountains of trash. Therefore, they are counting on the tenants to help them out.

“[They could] help us out by breaking down cardboard boxes and stacking them behind or next to the dumpster,” Jennings said.

Along with the recycling effort, Star Properties is also changing the cleaning supplies they use.

“As of right now, [we are trying] to use green cleaning products, but as of next year, our goal is to use only environmentally friendly products,” Zondag said.

Managing Editor Katie Trusk contributed to this story.