Eco reps educate students on recycling practices

By Jasmine White and Grace Bertrand

EVERY piece of paper, soda can and plastic bottle recycled on campus puts a smile on a Rider Eco Representative’s face. 

In collaboration with Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and Rider’s chapter of Broadway Green Alliance, the Office of Sustainability brought students together to celebrate America Recycles Day on Nov. 14. Together, they set out to educate Rider about how donations and participation, no matter how small, play pivotal roles in bettering the community. 

“There are so many items that people have in their homes that they no longer want or need, and we’re providing an outlet for donations,” said Director of Sustainability Melissa Greenberg. 

Greenberg emphasized the variety of campus donation events and recycling initiatives to encourage the Rider community to do their part in being green.

The event held tables for bra donations, free book and clothing exchanges and sustainable utensil gift boxes. They also collaborated with “Towels for Toto” to collect towels and old shirts, regardless of the condition, to donate to dog shelters or repurpose as dog toys.

ZTA partnered with the Office of Sustainability to educate its peers and fundraise for breast cancer awareness. They tabled for bra donations to support individuals who may be adjusting to a new size and do not have the means to purchase a new bra. 

The ZTA representatives at the event shared their excitement for collaborating with other organizations to encourage others to give back. 

Eco Representative Chloe Bacsik, a junior biology major, shared her passion for the office’s events that invited students to hang out while, in turn, showing them how fun serving the world around them can be. 

Bacsik emphasized the importance of giving back to the community and playing a positive role in recycling.

“I feel like we’ve made it kind of easier for students to do certain things with sustainability, being on a college campus,” said Bacsik.

In every residence hall, the Office of Sustainability offers TerraCycling, allowing students to dispose of their empty beauty products and utensils. From 2007 to 2024, over 25,000 health and beauty product packages have been recycled through TerraCycle. 

Another program offered on campus is “Fill it Forward,” an initiative that donates money and water to places in need every time a water bottle is refilled. 

The program is designed to encourage people to choose reusable bottles and cups while moving away from single-use plastic options. 

Rider alone holds over 50 water bottle refill stations on campus, including the Dining Services locations, according to the Rider University website.

“These are very simple things that anybody can do,” Greenberg said of the sustainable options offered by the Office of Sustainability.

To those that believe their small contributions do not matter, Bacsik offered words of encouragement: “What I’d say to that is the good old quote, ‘It’s just one straw, said a billion people.’ It’s a domino effect. Even if you can’t physically see it, it does count.”

The Office of Sustainability plans to host its yearly Green Your Holidays event that allows students to make reusable bags out of old T-shirts, make ornaments out of unwanted CDs and DVDs, make gift wrap out of unconventional items and more. 

“We have a planet to care for and to leave for future generations, and there is a mechanism for recycling items, and we should be utilizing that for resources,” said Greenberg. 

Managing editor Hannah Newman is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha and had no part in the writing or editing of this story.