Several students are spearheading a new initiative to turn recyclables into grants for environmental organizations.

A newly formed student organization, the Binghamton Upcycle Project (B-UP) plans to place distinct recycling bins in each residential hall’s trash room. Staffed by volunteers, the collected recyclables will be brought to B-UP-specific dumpsters and be sold to recycling centers. According to members of their Executive Board, the idea originated with Trevor Fornara ‘23, a civic engagement coordinator with the Center for Civil Engagement, who shared the idea with Christian Rodriguez, now the organization’s executive director and a senior majoring in environmental studies.

In a joint statement, Rodriguez and Asha Philip, B-UP’s field director and a junior majoring in biochemistry, expanded on the organization’s goals.

“We have dreamed from small to big,” they wrote. “We think B-UP has such a great potential to make it farther than just our campus. But our first goal is to make campus greener, which entails every [Residential Life] building having bins for recycling bottles, making our name known and increasing our volunteer turnout to help collect the bottles.”

They added that the organization was in talks with administrators, including Jazell Johnson, the residential wellness initiatives director, and Martin Larocca, a sustainability coordinator, to implement their plans. Proceeds from their effort, approximately 6.5 cents per bottle, will go toward funding student-run environmental projects and organizations.

Larocca will join a newly-formed advisory committee, which will include professional staff from multiple departments and divisions. Rodriguez and Philip expressed hope for the club’s future impact.

“[We] think the club has so much potential to be placed in every SUNY school,” they wrote. “We just have to show how successful the club will be here. We can make a national difference. We have to fight for the world we live in, even if it means collecting one plastic bottle at a time.”

Currently working through the Student Association’s chartering process, the organization has collaborated with the Office of Sustainability, a University-wide initiative to increase sustainability efforts on campus. The office has worked on providing clean water and dining, reducing transportation emissions, maintaining landscape sustainability and recycling on campus. Through various efforts, the office has aimed for the University to maintain a 30 percent recycling rate and increase purchasing of biodegradable or reusable products by 15 percent.

Philip elaborated on the intentions behind the initiative.

“I thought about how big of an impact we could make with this,” Philip wrote. “Although there is a lot of work currently, as we have just started the process, I can already tell how much of an impact it will have. Being part of the [Public Service Learning Community], I have always wanted to give back to my community. For the past three years, I have focused on giving back to Broome County, but now I also want to add [BU]. I want to be able to make a change for the better on campus.”