Students pouring back onto campus this week can expect a greener OU after the efforts of students, faculty, and staff last year.

Last January’s introduction of dual-purpose blue lids on many trash receptacles throughout campus is one such effort.

Joseph Ahrabizad, political science senior, said he tries to recycle when he can but in the past found his on-campus options limited. However, with the convenience of the combined receptacles, particularly on the South Oval, he said he finds himself recycling more rather than just tossing his water bottle into a trash can or having to walk out of his way to the nearest recycle bin.

“The infrastructure is already in place,” said Undergraduate Student Congress chairman John Jennings about the dual-purpose lids. “It’s just a matter of using it.”

Student Congress will be donating money to the Physical Plant in order to purchase more of the dual-purpose blue lids, Jennings said.

Amanda Hearn, spokesperson for the OU Physical Plant, said that the Physical Plant’s Refuse and Recycling team recycled more than 930 tons of paper, aluminum and plastic during OU’s most recent fiscal year, which ran from July 1, 2008 through June 30.

President of OUr Earth Chris Applegate said the increase in recycling was phenomenal but said that there is more to OU becoming a sustainable campus than just recycling. He said he would like to see OU make an effort to obtain Leadership in Energy and Evironmental Design certification for more of its buildings, as well as increase the number of blue lids on trash cans.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Web site, LEED certification requires verification from a third party that building construction used design strategies that reduce the building’s effect on the environment.

Hearn said OU retro-fitted many of its buildings this summer to be more energy-efficient and less-resource intensive.

The changes include installing sensors in rooms that will turn off the lights when someone leaves the room, adding sensors to vending machines that turn off the machine’s lights if no one is around, efficient outdoor lights and well as replacing battery-powered exit signs with glow in the dark ones.

Hearn said OU is expected to save the equivalent energy use of 415 single-family homes a year after the retro-fitting.