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UW-Eau Claire Collects 5,000 Plastic Bags for Recycling

RELEASED: May 5, 2009

EAU CLAIRE — The campus collected 5,000 plastic bags for recycling during the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's first "Bagging Our Plastic: On-Campus Plastic Bags Drive" in April.

The campuswide plastic bag drive was initiated by Kirby Harless, hall director for Sutherland Hall. Harless organized a similar drive in his residence hall last year that was so successful that he suggested it be expanded across campus.

Harless and Earth Month volunteer Danielle Gannon served as project leaders, organizing students to promote the bag drive. Students living in Oak Ridge, Sutherland, Governors, Katherine Thomas and Chancellors halls will receive reusable bags and pizzas for their contributions to the bag drive.

"It was nice to see campuswide collaboration on an awareness campaign," Harless said. "The work paid off with 5,000 plastic bags collected, stuffed into a van and then with seven carts, taken into Festival Foods to be recycled."

The bags collected are hopefully a small part of the effort, Harless said.

"Each year the world throws out 500 billion to 1 trillion bags, each American around 1,000 bags," Harless said. "Our hope is to get people to use reusable bags and recycle those they do end up taking."

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