Despite their small size, the multicolored recycling bins scattered across campus are taking in their fair share of garbage.

The university recycled more than 700 tons of material in fiscal year 2002, said Mary Jo Marshall, overseer of Utilities and Waste Management. She said most of the material recycled was paper.

The 3R Program at NIU oversees all recycling on campus, Marshall said, and is responsible for recycling hundreds of tons of material each year.

Recycling units are available in almost every building on campus, Marshall said, and are separated into containers designated for different materials.

Marshall said the program is funded as part of the NIU Physical Plant. This year’s budget was about $66,000, which pays for costs such as personnel and hauling materials, she said.

Patricia Dashney, solid waste coordinator for DeKalb, said 44 percent of all waste in DeKalb County was recycled last year. The recycle rate – 25 percent overall – is one of the highest in Illinois.

Dashney attributed the higher percentage to simple responsibility.

“Our businesses are very good at it, our homeowners are very good at it. We have some good citizens,” she said.

Paper is the most commonly recycled material, followed by metals, Dashney said. The majority of waste in DeKalb comes from businesses.

“In general, businesses produce a lot more waste and recycle a lot more,” Dashney said. Residential waste makes up only about 7 to 12 percent of recycled materials, she added.

DeKalb County’s major haulers are Waste Management and Northern Disposal, Dashney said. Every municipality has its own contract with a hauler, she added.

Although most papers, plastics and metals are recyclable, some materials are better left in the garbage.

“We cannot recycle styrofoam,” Marshall said. She said plastic containers not labeled as Type 1 or Type 2 also should be thrown away.