March 17, 2017

Hackettstown, N.J., March 17, 2017– Elementary schoolers learn about the “Three R’s”—reduce, reuse, and recycle. At the college level, those lessons are put into action! The Evergreen Group, with the help from Tribeta (Biology Honor Society) and the Department of Math and Natural Sciences at Centenary University is proud to announce that the campus community is participating in Trex’s University and Community Recycling Program.

Founded in 1996, Trex produces environmentally responsible outdoor products in an effort to keep recyclable materials out of landfills. The guidelines of the Trex Recycling Program challenge are simple: as a community, Centenary University needs to collect at least five hundred pounds of recyclable soft plastics by the end of the semester in order to win a high-performance composite bench to be used on campus.

In order to achieve this goal by May 15, 2017, the University’s Evergreen group is enlisting help from the local community. The following items will be accepted, and encouraged, for recycling: grocery bags, bread bags, case overwrap, dry cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, ice bags, wood pellet bags, Ziploc and other reclosable bags, produce bags, bubble wrap, salt bags, LPDE/HPDE films, and cereal bags. All items must be dry and clean from food residue. Members of the community can drop off eligible materials at the Taylor Memorial Library at Centenary University.

The goal of the Evergreen Group is to create a sense of responsibility for resources among the community-at-large. Through promotion of awareness and education of environmental issues, this group seeks to establish Centenary University as an environmentally positive example for other colleges and universities, as well as the state of New Jersey. The group’s programs encourage involvement in the Centenary campus community and the public community surrounding Hackettstown. Throughout the school year, the group offers educational programs on campus as well as local schools, organizes environmental events, and develops and initiates programs to promote responsible use of the earth’s resources. The Evergreen Group’s collaboration with Trex is an exciting new initiative that is beneficial to the school, community and the environment. The students, faculty, and staff at Centenary University are embracing this recycling challenge.

Associate Professor of Physics and Advisor of the Evergreen Group, Dr. Krassi Lazarova says, “The members of Evergreen Group have done a tremendous job of promoting environmental responsibility here at Centenary University, and we look forward to including the local community in this ongoing event. With the community’s help, collecting five hundred pounds of recycling for Trex is a feasible ambition.”

For more information, please contact Dr. Krassi Lazarova by phone at (908)-852-1400 ext. 2252 or email her at Krassi.Lazarova@CentenaryUniversity.edu. You can follow the Evergreen Group’s progress on the club’s Facebook page, “Centenary University Evergreen Group”. To learn more about Trex, please visit http://www.trex.com/recycling/recycling-programs/.

Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary University’s academic program integrates a solid liberal arts foundation with a strong career orientation. This mix is designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students to succeed in the increasingly global and interdependent world.

Centenary University’s main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County). The Centenary University School of Professional Studies offers degree programs in two locations: Parsippany and Edison, as well as corporate sites throughout New Jersey.

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