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To contact us:
Phone:
815-753-0352
Fax:
815-753-6290
3R Program Physical Plant Northern Illinois University DeKalb, IL 60115
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Daily Chronicle article: Sunday, June 8, 1997
NIU recycling in debt
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by Toby Cotter
Staff Writer
Pictures not available. (original picture caption) Employee Mike McShane puts mixed paper into a bailing machine at the recycling center at Northern Illinois University. The center has amassed a $70,000 deficit.
(original picture caption) A sign outside of NIU's recycling center is in need of repair. Student recycling employees deem the center inadequate, but university officials are wary of funding the center because of its deficit.
The recycling program at Northern Illinois University is facing a serious financial problems, and the development of the proposed $1.2-million recycling center has been put on hold.
The suspension of the building project, which is part of the West Campus Master Plan improvements, comes at a time when university recycling has reached an all-time high.
Collections of recyclable materials such as newspaper, glass, plastic and cardboard increased more than 60 percent over the last two years.
In fact, the recycling program at NIU has kept more than 50 semi-loads of trash from being thrown into the local landfill in 1996.
Despite what university officials are calling a "successful program", the recycling efforts are in deep financial trouble. The student-run program has amassed a deficit of more than $70,000.
In fiscal year 1995-1996, the Student Association Recycling Program had more than $33,000 in profits-but they expected much more. Thus, with labor and other expenses totaling more than $100,000, the operation was sitting with a large deficit. In response to the problem, recycling leaders cut more than $30,000 from the 1996-1997.
"We wanted to be self-sufficient," said Adrian. "The economic reality really hurt."
The financial problems are so severe that some talk has centered on bringing in an outside firm to run the recycling program at the university.
"It would be a mistake for the university to bring in a third party," said the University of Illinois Recycling and Material Reduction Coordinator Tim Haase. "It is awfully easy to say let it go, but the university needs to get together and take responsibility for its waste."
NIU is required by the state to take care of its waste materials. Illinois law mandates state supported universities to achieve a large reduction in the amount of solid waste generated.
Students and officials at NIU want to take responsibility for their waste, but the current recycling facility is just not suitable.
"While campus-wide commitment is strong, the existing facility in inadequate," according to background materials on the West Campus Master Plan released last year.
"The current building is ill suited to be a recycling center", Adrian said. "This works as a nice drop-off center, but it is not efficient as a center."
Arian said the problems associated with the building include a poor |
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power supply, no control over temperatures, no running water or indoor plumbing, and the outdoor gravel causes problems when loading the semi-trailers.
The problems of the program reach far beyond those of the current recycling center.
Prices paid for recyclable materials is at a 15-month low, according to Haase. And, the student-funded program spends money collecting recyclables from administrative and other non-student buildings on campus, which according to Adrian is troubling many student leaders at NIU.
Several people, including Adrian and Haase, believe the recycling program became too large too fast, especially when the budget depended on the sale of recyclable materials.
"Our costs have increased, but our revenues have not," said Adrian. "And, our budget is based on recycling being profitable."
"But, according to Haase, recycling is profitable."
In fact, Haase is supervising a $1.4 million recycling facility expansion at U of I.
The program in Champaign set aside almost $30,000 a month during peak years of recycling, which offsets much of the costs of the new facility. Haase said the program currently yields about $6,000 to $10,000 each month.
"We earmarked the money for the facility several years ago," explained Haase. "This project would not go without the sales of the past."
Past revenues excited Adrian and the other student leaders at NIU.
"When prices went out of the ceiling in 1995, we all got excited," said Adrian. "Maybe we got too excited."
Adrian's excitement was justified, according to Ken Bowden, chairman of the City of DeKalb's Citizen's Environmental Commission.
"Pete wants a model recycling center," Bowden said. "Students have always had a strong recycling track record. Since the early 1970s, the student government has worked with recycling."
The fate of the program and center will be mapped out over the next six weeks. A group of university leaders, Physical Plant employees, and student recycling employees will be meeting to come up with a new proposal, according to Melanie Magara, director of public affairs at NIU.
Magara said the new proposal could still include the $1.2 million center or some other recommendation. She said the possibility of a third party taking over is also an option.
"The university still has a strong commitment to recycling," said Magara. "We just need to find the most cost effective way to do it."
"It really isn't an 'us versus them'; issue," said Adrian. "We would rather have what is best for the university."
The problem is very complex for the university and Student Association. Magara thinks much of the issues rests on the shoulders of the Student Association- "can they afford to support to support the program?"
Adrian says the students can't afford to fully support the program, and he said it will take years before they get out of debt.
"This is getting very hard without university funding," said Adrian.
Magara, however, doesn't expect NIU to bail out the student recycling program anytime soon.
"This is not the time to be funding anything that runs a deficit" Magara said.
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