Ryan Obert, senior and founder of the Recycling Awareness Club, has scored a victory recently by securing a spot for recycling in the alleyway between the Student Living Center and Woods Hall.

Ryan Obert wants to ensure students and faculty on campus have facilities where they can recycle.

“It matters to leave something for the future generation, our children, our children’s children. We may have the space to bury our recyclables right now, but we won’t forever, and if we want our resources to last we should all be taking our best step forward. This is the best place for that step to be taken,” Obert said.

Ryan Obert was on campus in spring of 2022, when he realized there were no means for students to recycle. He wanted to create a club that could bring attention and options to fulfill the need for recycling. He was told he had to write a proposal at the end of 2022, then start a club and raise the money himself.

Obert drew the attention of Mark Strieker, chief financial officer, who wanted to fund the club and the effort Obert was making.

“I’ve been here for three years, and I remember when it was just garbage cans all around here. I was actually kind of surprised when there was not any recycling here, whatsoever,” Jack Urbanciz, junior, said.

“I believed it to be a priority of school to offer that service to any of the students that are living here,” Obert said.

For people interested in participating further for the cause of recycling, there are sites that collect recyclables in Quincy, such as Quincy Recyclables, 2 Rivers Industries, and Republic Services.

“I’d like to see more people help the environment get better, you know. You want to keep it clean around these parts. I mean you live in it,” Mustafa Hamaji, junior, said. “I feel like we should just add more recycling bins everywhere, so that people are more prone to recycle. You know make people feel like they should.”

Students that want to join the Recycling Awareness Club can reach Obert at r.blevins33@quincy.edu or Urbanciz at j.urbanciz82@quincy.edu.