November 26, 2007

Purdue pushes recycling with new PSA

The PSA features "Forest," the vigilante recycling hand-puppet who aggressively models recycling to busy students in the residence halls. The spot airs at least three times each day on the movie channel of University Residences' cable television service, Boiler TV.

Tina Parker, Boiler TV manager, said the message is reaching people who are environmentally conscious and giving them a key role to play.

"Students want to be active in making their community a better place to live," Parker said. "We're helping them develop habits that they can take with them when they leave college."

University Residences will recycle 400 tons of glass, plastic, aluminum, steel, grease and paper this year, about 25 percent of the university's total recycling. Most of this recycling is generated at dining facilities.

Barbara Frazee, executive director of University Residences, said she hopes to expand the recycling volume by prompting more students to help fill the more than 800 recycling bins in residence halls. The bins are in central areas and on residential floors and loading docks.

"The recycling operation costs University Residences several thousands of dollars to operate each month," Frazee said. "We consider it an investment in the long-term viability of the community as a whole and part of our mission to guide and influence a new generation of societal leaders."

The televised announcement is the first of three planned spots centered on the theme "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." Future PSAs will encourage students to not waste food in the dining courts and to save electricity in the residence halls.

Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu

Sources: Tina Parker, (765) 496-6365, parkertm@purdue.edu

Barbara Frazee, (765) 494-1000, bjfrazee@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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