The next time you throw your old homework, papers and tests in the garbage, think again.

Here at Iowa State reduce, reuse, and recycle are becoming everyday processes thanks to help of the ISU Recycling Committee.

According to the Recycling Committee’s website, the committee formed in 1993 consists of volunteer students and staff interested in recycling. Warren Madden, vice president for business and finance, sponsors the committee’s efforts.

Gloria Erickson, program assistant with Facilities and Planning Management, is the committee’s unofficial coordinator.

“The students are really what got the recycling going on campus,” she said. “It was also something I was interested in personally and they needed someone to take charge of things.”

Erickson, who joined the committee in 1994, said it is sometimes difficult to organize things because everyone on the committee is a volunteer.

Erickson said the Ames Area Recycling Center has been a big help in gathering information and starting programs.

“They are very cooperative and are a good resource if we have any questions,” she said.

Barry Stouwie, recycling coordinator for the Ames Area Recycling Center, served on the ISU Recycling Committee for a short time to get the program started.

Stouwie said he tried to keep the programs for the ISU committee simple and durable.

“I was asked to serve as the local recycling expert on the committee,” Stouwie said. “I took my commitment very seriously.”

Erickson said with Stouwie’s help, the committee has been extremely successful.

According to the committee’s web-site, from August 1994 through March of this year, ISU has recycled over 400 tons of white paper.

The committee was involved with starting recycling programs in the residence halls and hopes to have a campus multi-sort drop-off bin for newspaper, milk jugs, aluminum cans and glass sometime in the near future.

The ISU Recycling committee offers the following tips to reduce, reuse, and recycle:

* Make the minimum number of copies necessary and consider routing rather than individual copies.

* Preview documents on-line before printing

* Make use of e-mail and voice mail/audix.

* Reuse paper for scratch paper, then recycle

* Minimize the use of colored paper since only white paper is recyclable on campus.

* Form habits to reduce, reuse, and recycle at school and in your personal life. The ISU Recycling Committee’s home page can be visited at http://www.fpm.iastate.edu/recycling.