IC’s ongoing recycling project makes local impact
Students at Illinois College are learning that conducting community research can be hard work, but the results are well worth the effort.
That was the experience of senior sociology major, Keshaunna Moon '18, and junior economic and sociology major, Edwin Ramirez '19, who participated in a multidisciplinary research project on community recycling last semester; one that continues to have an impact on the Jacksonville community.
It was an extremely valuable experience. There were parts that were time-consuming and tedious, but it showed me that it matters what people have to say. This type of research is so useful in understanding what the community thinks. It gives you a sense of what people value and it taught me that community decisions are complicated and shouldn’t be based on assumptions.
The project began last year, with a partnership between Illinois College and the City of Jacksonville, working together to study local perceptions of the current curbside recycling program.
“We learned through our research that a lot of people in Jacksonville had strong feelings about wanting recycling to continue and many wanted ways to recycle more. Discovering how much people valued these programs gave more meaning to this project,” said Ramirez.
In June, the City of Jacksonville negotiated a new five-year contract with Area Disposal Services to continue curbside recycling at no cost to residents.
Student-faculty research, led by Instructor in Economics T.J. Devine, Associate Professor of Sociology Jan Buhrmann and Director of Community Engagement and Service and City of Jacksonville Ward 2 Alderman Lori Oldenettel, played a key role in the Jacksonville City Council’s decision to approve the new agreement.
Two other recommendations made by students in their presentation of student-faculty research to the Jacksonville City Council were also adopted to improve the program. Jacksonville residents who participate in the recycling program now have access to large-capacity bins that make recycling easier and more conspicuous within residential neighborhoods. Twice-a-month pick up days will also be adjusted to coincide with the regular trash pickup schedule by the end of the year.
Buhrmann said she was very pleased and excited that so many local people participated by returning surveys that were sent out with Jacksonville water bills. She said the research indicated a strong desire by current users that the system be more convenient, and she hopes others will be motivated to start recycling.
The more visible it is that your household is recycling, the more it will encourage your neighbors to do the same. That’s something I hope we see with the new recycling bins. I think the City will get more calls from people that are interested. Over the next couple of years, it will be nice to see where the recycling project goes.
For students Moon and Ramirez, news that the city had made the recommended changes they presented at the City Council meeting in May, gave them a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
“It’s a great feeling when it all comes together in the end,” said Moon. “I couldn’t believe that something I did had that much impact and could actually affect an entire town.”
Ramirez is currently working on the next phase of recycling research in a course taught by Buhrmann. This research is focused on improving recycling programs for community businesses. Ramirez recommends student-faculty research for other IC students hoping to gain hands-on experience for graduate school or future careers while making a positive impact on the community.
It felt like I did something for other people. That’s something I am passionate about: helping people. It’s what I want to do in my career, so if I can help make a small, positive change in people’s life with recycling, that is great.
Oldenettel is pleased that the experience has been so positive for everyone involved and also hopes to see more students get involved. “It’s a great hands-on learning experience for students,” she said. “They can look back and see the positive changes that have come from the work they have done when they were students. They can see the lasting impact they made during their four years.”
The next phase of partnership will aim to involve additional departments at Illinois College and there has been discussion about developing curricula for Jacksonville school districts to educate youth about recycling.