As seen on IndexJournal.com.

When Lander University’s superintendent of Custodial Services, Dana Price, started his job two years ago, the campus was beginning to experience the benefits of a few environmentally friendly initiatives.

Lander’s newest dorm had just opened and had obtained LEED (Leadership in E nergy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The campus Arboretum Committee was in full swing, planting diverse shrubs and trees across campus and bringing in a series of lecturers to inform the campus and Greenwood community about different areas of horticulture.

Last year, Price took a step that would help continue Lander’s commitment to campus “green” initiatives when he applied for a grant from South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). The application was successful, awarding the university the sum of $25,000 for the 2007-08 fiscal year for use in expanding the campus recycling program.

The grant is part of DHEC’s Collegiate Recycling Program and requires that institutions maintain an oil recycling component as part of their programs.

Just as Lander was awarded the new grant last summer, Price was joined by his new assistant superintendent of Custodial Services, Torry Fuller. Fuller also was named recycling coordinator for the campus.

Together, Price and Fuller spent the fall planning a new and comprehensive campus recycling program. And, in January, the custodial department began rolling out the first phases of what will be the largest recycling initiative the campus has seen. While several dorms are already recycling, the new program will begin in the various offices across campus.

“In the new program each department on campus will have a centralized recycling area,” Fuller said. “There will be containers for paper, bottles and cans.”

With the new system, offices will be able to recycle aluminum cans, bottles, newspaper, printer paper and magazines, among other items. In line with the grant requirements, the program includes an oil recycling container, which is being used to recycle motor oil from Lander vehicles and hydraulic oil from campus elevators.

Lander’s custodial crew will soon finish rolling out the new system in campus offices. From there workers will move on to strengthening the recycling options for campus dormitories.

Price and Fuller will be applying for the grant again this year and hope to purchase equipment to allow for the processing of recyclables on campus. Once they are able to process the items themselves, they can sell them and make the process of recycling profitable for the university.

Price also expressed the importance of teaching students to recycle.

“If you are cognizant of the need to take care of the earth you will be a better citizen,” Price said. “If Lander students can leave here wanting to recycle, maybe they will teach others the importance of doing so.”