NIU recycles much more than just pop cans.

In fact, NIU recycles paper, landscape waste, metal, tires, motor oil, cooking oil, sawdust, toner cartridges, plastics, florescent lamps, print plates, furniture and residence hall mattresses.

“Recycling is a university-wide commitment,” said Mary Crocker, director of recycling programs and services at NIU. “I’ve been trying to cut the waste out of garbage.”

The biggest recycling effort at NIU is in office-quality paper. This is paper that has the potential of being processed again.

One of Crocker’s favorite projects was when the turf on the football field was redone.

The current turf, which was constructed in 2001, has a layer of limestone rocks covered by a combination of crumb rubber and Selica sand. The rubber was made from 18,000 tires. Topping off the turf is two inches of polygrass.

Before the current turf, the field was made of asphalt covered with astroturf.

“It was like falling on concrete with sharp edges,” Crocker said.

Crocker obtained a grant for $200,000 to have the tires turned into the crumb rubber and put onto the field.

When the asphalt was scraped off from the previous field, it was ground up and used as an aggregate for the road by the Convocation Center. The astroturf was sold in South America for soccer fields.

Bob Albanese, vice president for Finance and Facilities, explained that the tire recycling program only worked because there were uses for the rubber.

“It proved beneficial,” Albanese said. “We have one of the the best fields in the MAC, and it cuts down on injury.”

Crocker said that there are many opportunities to recycle around campus.

“There’s a lot of potential, but it takes money to make money and save money,” Crocker said.

For questions about recycling, e-mail Foster at [email protected], or to help with recycling at NIU, call Crocker at 753-0352.