Discarded books and trash from the Shepard Library. (Photo:Kai Christopher/Echo Staff photographer)

When it comes to recycling, N.C. Central University is getting a failing grade.

In the October 4, 2004 issue of the Campus Echo, Marcus Rountree, an environmental science alumni, was interviewed about his concern over NCCU’s failure to recycle.

At that time, NCCU’s physical plant said it was too underfunded and understaffed to implement a recycling program.

According to a 1997 Durham City ordinance, individuals, businesses and institutions are required to recycle cardboard, newspaper, glass and aluminum.

Today NCCU only recycles cardboard — this is because heavy fines are imposed if the landfill finds cardboard in waste material.

The University is charged $41.50 for every ton of garbage disposed in the Durham County landfill.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, up to 90 percent of garbage can be recycled.

“We are in a process of researching a recycling program,” said Carl Brower, physical plant grounds supervisor.

But the physical plant page on NCCU’s Web site says NCCU should already have one:

“NCCU will be starting a recycling program in the spring of 2007,” the Web page reads.

“This program will cover cardboard, recycle paper, glass, plastic and aluminum and will be picked up at each building weekly.”

According to Josephine Valencia, Durham commercial waste reduction specialist, Durham is beginning to pay more attention to enforcing the waste reduction ordinance, but only has one person, Mike Simpson, enforcing the ordinance.

“We are still in the beginning stages in enforcing the recycling law,” said Valencia.

“Right now we are about education of our residents before we hand out citations,” she said.

According Simpson, warnings and citations are only given out when someone files a formal complaint.

“From my understanding, other colleges in the area have their own private trash collection pick-up and they are responsible for their own recycling,” said Simpson.

Durham Technical Community College has a fully operational recycling program. NCCU does not.

Nearby Elon University has paid special attention to its recycling program.

At Elon each student gets a recycling “kit” for his or her room that contains a bag and instructions.

In 2005, Elon recycled more than 216,000 pounds of white paper/cardboard and 28,300 pounds of other recyclable materials.

According to the EPA, the average American produces about 4.4 pounds of garbage a day, or a total of 29 pounds per week and 1,600 pounds a year.