Issue date: 7/18/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Steve Berry

A debate surrounding garbage removal in faculty offices has left many faculty and staff members asking a common household question - who takes out the trash?

According to a statement from Vice Chancellor for Administration Kenn Neher, the policy was originally changed to require faculty and staff to empty their own trash receptacles, though building service workers would empty recycling bins weekly.

"This was the opposite of the past practice, where the building service workers took the trash while faculty and staff took the recyclables," Neher's statement said.

Many faculty members conveyed disapproval of the original change.

"The faculty, in general, does not like this new policy," biological sciences professor Ralph Axtell said.

After the change became an issue of contention on the faculty listserv, administrators decided to alter the plan. The amended plan calls for building service workers to alternate between trashcans and recycling bins.

According to Neher's statement, "The intent of the new policy was to comply with state law by increasing the amount of trash that is recycled on campus; to promote awareness of and participation in recycling … and to devote more custodial service to the recycling efforts on campus."

"I think what they're doing, essentially, is putting much more work that is custodial on the faculty, rather than less," Axtell said.

Other universities' trash removal systems follow various methods.

"All our BSWs (Building Service Workers) empty trash as needed, usually daily," explained Travis Magee, Building Services Supervisor at Eastern Illinois University.

Magee explained that, like with SIUE's former policy, faculty and staff at EIU are instructed to empty recyclables into larger bins located in hallways.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Building Services Web site states that trash receptacles are emptied regularly as part of the custodial routine.

"Building Services' philosophy in cleaning office space is that it needs to be done with the same care one would expect to have their home cleaned," the Web site said.

According to University Director of Marketing and Communications Greg Conroy, Neher's statement was the university's only official response to the issue.

Calls to Director of Facilities Management Bob Washburn were not returned.

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