Ivy Tech recycling project benefits students, environment

Saturday is the last chance this semester to contribute to an Ivy Tech Community College scholarship by recycling paper, cardboard and scrap metal as well as large items such as stoves, refrigerators, washers and dryers, autos and auto parts, mowers and metal machinery.

Three years ago, students in Krista Morison’s Science of Traditional and Alternative Energy class started the recycling project. At the time, Morison said, the students weren’t recycling because it cost money.

“They said they’d do it for a project,” she said. “They decided they wanted to give money for a scholarship.”

Now in its sixth semester, the project has raised more than $10,000 to endow a $500 scholarship for a student in technology or science. The first scholarship will be awarded in the 2013-14 school year.

Morison’s students “do almost everything” for the project, she said. They design fliers, write letters to area businesses, create a marketing plan, decide on logistics and follow them through.

“The goal is that they take away skills that they can actually use in real life,” she said.

The primary lesson learned has been about recycling itself.

“We need to recycle things that usually we just throw in the trash,” said Shelby Andrews of Richmond.

Alisha Flora of Richmond agreed.

“This has built up my motivation to recycle,” she said.

But the students expressed enthusiasm for other aspects of the project as well. Donnie Collins of Richmond enjoyed creating the marketing plan.

“When we all got together to brainstorm, that was pretty cool,” he said.

“We learned about different ways of advertising and how to get the word out,” said Stephen Wicker of Connersville.

Heather Strait of Cambridge City said the process taught her about “manager skills.”

Sarah Andrews of Rush County plans to go into computer information technology and thinks what she learned in the project will help her.

“Computers are always recyclable,” she said.

The group’s November electronics collection date coincided with the monthly recycling project conducted by Rosa’s Office Plus in conjunction with Cope Environmental Center. Rosa’s “gave” the day to the Ivy Tech students.

“That was pretty neat because it really helped us,” Shelby Andrews said.