West Virginia Universitys efforts to increase recycling on the local campus will soon be highlighted on an international stage.

WVU recycling coordinator Barbara Angeletti will present an abstract highlighting the Universitys Mountaineers Recycle program during the 23rd International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management March 31-April 2 in Philadelphia.

Scientists, educators and government officials from more than 40 countries will be attending the conference to share information about recycling, energy recovery, regulations and utilization of waste materials.

The Mountaineers Recycle programpart of the WVU Environmental Conservation Awareness Now, or WE CAN campaignencourages fans attending WVU sporting events to deposit their recyclable materials in plastic bags which are distributed and collected by teams of volunteers.

The efforts resulted in over 358,000 plastic bottles and cans being collected and recycled since the programs inception in the fall of 2006. In addition, $5,000 in proceeds, raised from the recycling of the materials, has benefited the WVU Childrens Hospital.

Key to the success of the program was the sharing of resources among the University, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Monongalia County Solid Waste Authority.

Angeletti hopes to encourage other conference attendees to consider the unique approach taken by the program.

I hope to demonstrate that through our collaborative efforts, we have taken a task that seemed impossible and succeeded,she said.It will serve as an example to other organizations that may not be able to develop and launch recycling programs by themselves. Through the combination of resources and efforts, they can succeedand Mountaineers Recycle is a prime example.

Angelettis presentation about Mountaineers Recycle will also be highlighted during a poster session at the conference and published in the conference proceedings. It may also be considered for publication in the Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management, a sponsor of the conference.

For Angeletti, there is a sense of personal pride stemming from the runaway success of the Universitys recycling efforts. Since first taking over the efforts on a part-time basis two years ago, the results have grown exponentially.

When I was asked to begin working on the program, the third-party company handling recycling efforts at WVU was managing about 12 tons of paper annually,she said.Since weve started speaking to groups and increasing the awareness on campus, those numbers have increased substantially. This past year, we will have recycled 304 tons of paper products as well as over 1 million plastic bottles.

The recycling program at WVU has grown to three full-time staff members, a special collection truck and the placement of recycling bins in every building on the WVU campus.

The WVU community has embraced this program, and the results have exceeded our expectations,Angeletti said.From the students in the residence halls to the faculty and staff members across the campus, everyone has pitched in and helped increase the sustainability of WVU . Its a win-win for everyone, and I am pleased to share this story with others.

The WVU Mountaineers Recycle program was established in 2006 with assistance from the West Virginia DEP and Gov. Joe Manchins Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP)the Next Generation program. Funding from the DEP and REAP helped purchase about 220 gold-colored recycling bins and collection bags used by the program.