Volunteers pick put recyclables as bags of material from the Grove are added to the conveyor belt. Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Communications
OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi’s Office of Sustainability is seeking faculty, staff and community member volunteers to help sort recycling collected from the Ole Miss-Texas A&M game.
The event, called “Sorts-Giving,” will take place at the Oxford Recycling Center from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 20 and Nov. 21. To sign up to volunteer, click here.
Sorting is a component of the university’s Green Grove game-day recycling program, which is operated by students, many of whom will be out of town on Thanksgiving break. In 2015, when “Sorts-Giving” last took place, UM employees diverted 1,400 pounds of recyclables from landfill.
“A primary focus of the Green Grove program is to provide an engaging and educational volunteer experience to continue to build the recycling program on campus,” said Ian Banner, university architect and director of sustainability and facilities planning. “This is an opportunity to have a direct impact on the university’s waste reduction efforts and to learn more about the recycling process in Oxford.”
Volunteers get a free T-shirt and can play a sorting-themed recycling bingo game for a chance to win prizes. Participants also will be entered to win a dozen Insomnia cookies for their office or department.
The Green Grove program was established in 2008, in collaboration with Landscape Services and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. It is managed by four student interns in the Office of Sustainability, a team of Green Grove ambassadors and hundreds of volunteers annually.
Last season, the program diverted 6.4 tons of recyclables from the landfill.