In the fall of 2016, the Office of Sustainability introduced a new volunteer program called Recycling Geniuses in response to recurring contamination issues across campus. A significant number of recycling and compost loads were being rejected from their respective collection facilities due to cross-contamination with other waste and improper sorting. The WashU community is committed to lowering contamination rates, and Recycling Geniuses play a key role in addressing the issue through peer-to-peer education.
The Recycling Genius training consists of a brief, yet in-depth, training on what can be recycled and composted and why. Once you are trained as a Recycling Genius, you can provide presentations to groups (like your office, your res hall floor, or a student group) or provide educational sorting demonstrations during meal times. During volunteer shifts, you will help with educational outreach to bring awareness to new recycling guidelines and common contaminants. Powerpoint presentation and presentation kit are provided.
The next training is Wednesday October 3, 3:15 – 4pm in Simon 103. If you are interested in receiving a notification for the next training, or to request a presentation at your student group meeting or office, contact Cassie (chage22@wustl.edu).
Perks of being a Recycling Genius include:
- Each volunteer will receive a Recycling Genius button and Office of Sustainability t-shirt
- Volunteers will gain experience in public speaking and improve presentation skills
- Volunteers will be making a difference at WashU and within the greater St. Louis community
If you are excited about helping solve this problem and making WashU a greener place, we encourage you to fill out an application to receive more information. Or, join us at a training!