The O’Collegian

It is about time Stillwater got a decent recycling center.

For years, the existing recycling spots, most not conveniently located, have been all there is to recycling typical household waste in Stillwater.

To many, this was unacceptable. The locations were often trashed, the bins overflowing and sometimes the collected material would be simply landfilled due to “contamination” that could have been avoided with someone to help sort the material.

That will change on April 22, Earth Day, when the site at Eighth Street and Perkins Road opens. It will feature a lot of improvements over existing recycling in Stillwater.

In addition to a staff at the site, there will be more room and it will accept an impressive variety of material — from liquid contaminants to green waste like yard clippings — a far cry from the standard plastic, paper, aluminum and glass.

While this is a triumph for environmentalists in Stillwater, it is also an embarrassment to OSU.

OSU needs to take a greater leadership role in environmental initiatives by bringing more recycling options to campus, notably recycling of glass, plastic and aluminum.

Fortunately, SGA is working on this. OSU students and faculty can look forward to expanded paper recycling and more recycling at athletic events, thanks to SGA and cooperation from the Athletic Department.

— The Daily O’Collegian Editorial Board