Getting a recycling bin on campus is a problem with a $14,000 solution, but Green- Toppers President Christian Ryan-Downing says the cost is worth it.

“It would save money at the landfill, but it’s not about the money,” Ryan-Downing said. “It’s about providing a service to the campus community and being a model for the community.”

Ryan-Downing is working with facilities management and the Student Government Association to raise money for a recycling bin for plastics and glass.

SGA will vote on Oct. 16 on a resolution to allocate $7,000 from the SGA budget toward a campus recycling bin, Administrative Vice President Cherieth Lineweaver said.

Recycling is the No. 1 environmental issue students ask GreenToppers about, Ryan-Downing said. Currently, students have to drive off campus to recycle their plastic and glass products.

That’s inconvenient for students, especially high school students at the Academy for Math and Science in Kentucky, she said.

Facilities management hired Ryan-Downing as a recycling intern and asked her to identify issues with the recycling program on campus.

The main problem with the recycling program is that there isn’t a budget for recycling bins or awareness campaigns, Ryan-Downing said.

Ryan-Downing prepared a proposal over the summer and presented it to SGA, which has money in its budget for campus improvements.

Facilities management would cover the other $7,000, Lineweaver said.

The goal of the resolution is to provide money for a new recycling bin to make recycling easier for students, said Nate Eaton, the SGA campus improvements committee chairman.

The collection bin will be serviced by Southern Recycling and will be near the Downing University Center, he said.

Reach Michelle Day at news@chherald.com