 "Photo: Patricia Dwyer / Staff Photographer")
It may not be easy being green, but the Success Enabled Pilots club hopes to make recycling effortless for San Diego State students.
Last semester, the group started a free pickup service for bottles and cans to encourage students to recycle and began passing out free energy-saving florescent light bulbs to help cut energy costs.
Members of the club will come pick up recyclable material from individual residents as well as houses on Fraternity Row and apartment buildings in the College Area.
Global warming and other environmental concerns are issues that affect everyone. SEP President Adam Beller views the new recycling program as the club "just doing its part."
"Everybody has to do their part to save (the world)," Beller said.
Last weekend, the group made its first pickup of the fall semester, though the program was active all summer long. The group will continue to collect recyclables throughout the semester. Pickups will be made every Sunday, and student groups are able to schedule them by e-mailing SEP at sdsusep@hotmail.com. The service is only available to houses and apartments within one mile of SDSU.
Additionally, the SEP will be handing out packages of energy-saving light bulbs after every pickup that could save up to $92 in energy bills during a lifetime.
SEP is a student club for people interested in aviation and community service. The group participates in many activities including the restoration of old planes, learning how to fly and actually taking flights. Last semester, it began placing recycle bins around Piedra del Sol apartments and some Greek houses because it found that there are not enough recycling cans around campus, Beller said.
"Recycling is something people always learn about and talk about, but never actually do," SEP member Arthur Sabat said.
Sabat collects recyclables for the group.
"It is just something you have to condition yourself to do. It's just one extra step but you have to train yourself to do it."
SEP began working with Associated Students last semester to make recycling easier around campus.
A.S. has its own environmental initiative called Green Love. A.S. Green Commissioner Erica Johnson said the committee is working toward making the campus sustainable and more environmentally friendly.
"We are now working with the physical plant to make 50 percent of all trash bins on campus into recycle bins," Johnson said. "That is, for every trash can there will be a recycle bin next to it. We expect this to be done by the end of the semester."
As well as working with A.S., SEP has received help from Home Depot and Lowe's in Mission Valley, which donated recycling bins to assist the organization.
"If everyone works together, we can change the world," Sabat said. "We're hoping that other groups will view what SEP is doing as a positive example of how to give back to the community."
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