Two words that all college students should care about are free and recycling.

For college students, anything free should be an opportune moment, especially when it constitutes recycling.

The University Dining Services have been implementing these two items for the past three years. Unfortunately, many student’s haven’t been taking advantage of it, Nancy Joseph, assistant director of dining services said.

About three years ago, an idea was brought out campus-wide to help reduce disposable cups and bottles in the landfill.

University Dining Service staff members came up with the idea to purchase mugs and give them away to the in-coming freshmen who had meal plans. Not only were they giving away the mugs for free, but students were also able to purchase non-specialty beverages for a discount, when using the mugs.

The idea was taken off of other campus’ that had successful outcomes, but “it didn’t quite catch on here,” Joseph said.

The big, yellow mugs with the dining services and recycling symbols on them are targeted at freshmen so they could get a trend going and to promote recycling. The mugs were originally purchased from a distributor in Cleveland, designed by a University man.

“All freshmen are entitled to a mug. A lot didn’t even pick them up,” Joseph said.

The remaining mugs are from the original shipment of 10,000 purchased three years ago. Once the original shipment of mugs run out, Dining Services may not purchase anymore.

“I don’t think we’ll purchase anymore. The 20-ounce re-sealable bottles swelch the mug program,” Joseph said.

The 20-ounce re-sealable bottles that can be bought from vending machines and dining services all over campus seem to have been making bringing the mugs, with their clips, not as easy, Joseph said.

“I think that the re-sealable bottles are much easier,” Anne Romey, senior at the University said. Romey received her mug her freshman year in 1999.

“I never used my mug to get beverages because I wasn’t aware of the discount received,” she said, “If I would have known about the discount, I would have used it more. I definitely think it’s a good idea.”

Like Romey, many students who get their mugs never bring them back for the purpose intended. They are used for personal use, Joseph said.

Freshman Ryan Gray didn’t know about the mugs that dining services were giving away.

“I didn’t know about the mugs,” Gray said, “But I’d get it.” Once the mug is in his hands, Gray said he would use it for its intended purpose.

In preparation of the mugs, Dining Services and the University Recycling Program had to team up.

“We have to team up. It’s an effort put forth to aid recycling program efforts,” Joseph said.

The University Recycling Program hasn’t been with the University for long, but since their efforts have taken hold, a lot of recyclable waste has been deterred from entering the landfill, according to the recycling programs Web site.

Recycling Program Coordinator Craig Wittig believes that what the Dining Services are trying to do is a good idea.

“It is for waste reduction. I absolutely think it’s a good idea,” he said.

Wittig believes the society, including the University, uses too many waste materials. Recycling not only promotes resource conservation, but energy conservation, he said.

“It takes more energy to take a new tree and make something like paper than it would to recycle,” Wittig said.

People tend to bury garbage in the ground and then go somewhere else when the hole is filled. Wittig said that this doesn’t make sense when you can recycle a lot of the garbage and make it something new.

Last year alone, 1,994,000 pounds, or 997 tons, of material was recycled from the University. About 30-40 percent of this was from Dining Services. This is one reason why Dining Services has been trying to get students to use their mugs. The mugs will reduce the amount of paper cups that are used for students’ beverages, in return reducing the amount of paper being thrown away.