Spring Break
Organization recycles for Habitat
DIANA PEREZ
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: News
It takes approximately 5 million recycled aluminum cans to build a $70,000 house in Athens said Nick Bennett, a senior from Douglasville.
Bennett is one of three recycling coordinators of the UGA Habitat for Humanity recycling effort, "Cans for Habitat." The program collects and recycles aluminum cans, and uses the recycling funds to pay for housing in the Athens community.
"It's a positive way to raise money for housing," said Melanie Phelps, co-president of UGA Habitat for Humanity. Phelps said the program helps promote recycling and helps students get into the habit of preserving the environment.
Bennett said Habitat has raised over $300 this semester taking recycled cans to the Carolinas Recycling Group, which pays 40 cents for each pound of recycled aluminum. Bennett said students can bring aluminum cans to Habitat, but they also do pickups for organizations off-campus.
"We do 1 to 5 pickups each week. It just depends on the volume," Bennett said.
He said any organization off campus or students interested in donating their aluminum cans can contact Habitat to make drop-offs or have their aluminum cans picked up.
Phelps said this the third year UGA Habitat for Humanity has done the recycling program. She said Habitat saves the money from recycling efforts throughout the semester, then uses those funds to help sponsor the houses UGA Habitat builds.
Stenka Vulova, the on-campus recycling coordinator, is leading the effort this year to recycle cans at home football games. Vulova said raising funds for Habitat this year is more difficult due to the University's new garbage collection system.
"We had a joint collaboration with the Go Green Alliance where volunteers would set up bins and then sort through them to get the cans," Vulova said. "There's still a good recycling effort this year, but it's not a joint effort anymore. They [Go Green Alliance] recycles just to recycle. We do it to raise money for housing."
Vulova said student volunteers raised $57 dollars recycling at the South Carolina football game. She said tailgaters can pick up plastic bags on game days at the Myers Quad and bring them back to help Habitat.
"More than anything, we need volunteers on game days and that's what we're lacking the most right now. It's really easy to become a volunteer too," Vulova said.
Bennett is one of three recycling coordinators of the UGA Habitat for Humanity recycling effort, "Cans for Habitat." The program collects and recycles aluminum cans, and uses the recycling funds to pay for housing in the Athens community.
"It's a positive way to raise money for housing," said Melanie Phelps, co-president of UGA Habitat for Humanity. Phelps said the program helps promote recycling and helps students get into the habit of preserving the environment.
Bennett said Habitat has raised over $300 this semester taking recycled cans to the Carolinas Recycling Group, which pays 40 cents for each pound of recycled aluminum. Bennett said students can bring aluminum cans to Habitat, but they also do pickups for organizations off-campus.
"We do 1 to 5 pickups each week. It just depends on the volume," Bennett said.
He said any organization off campus or students interested in donating their aluminum cans can contact Habitat to make drop-offs or have their aluminum cans picked up.
Phelps said this the third year UGA Habitat for Humanity has done the recycling program. She said Habitat saves the money from recycling efforts throughout the semester, then uses those funds to help sponsor the houses UGA Habitat builds.
Stenka Vulova, the on-campus recycling coordinator, is leading the effort this year to recycle cans at home football games. Vulova said raising funds for Habitat this year is more difficult due to the University's new garbage collection system.
"We had a joint collaboration with the Go Green Alliance where volunteers would set up bins and then sort through them to get the cans," Vulova said. "There's still a good recycling effort this year, but it's not a joint effort anymore. They [Go Green Alliance] recycles just to recycle. We do it to raise money for housing."
Vulova said student volunteers raised $57 dollars recycling at the South Carolina football game. She said tailgaters can pick up plastic bags on game days at the Myers Quad and bring them back to help Habitat.
"More than anything, we need volunteers on game days and that's what we're lacking the most right now. It's really easy to become a volunteer too," Vulova said.
