A new form of recycling is coming to Seward County Community College/Area Technical School. Now plastic items will be turned into scholarship dollars. Jared Haas, a biology instructor at SCCC/ATS, decided to bring a new initiative to help recycle when he saw a plastic bag recycling bin at Dillon’s. Haas contacted Terracycle, a company located in N.J. that recycles almost anything, and has applied to open an account with them in the name of the Development Foundation, so that the Foundation will get credit for SCCC recycling. The recycling bins can hold plastic pens, pencils, markers, highlighters and caps. The credit from the pen recycling will turn into cash for scholarships from recycled items shipped to Terracycle. The college has done this before but stopped. Haas now controls this project. He is doing the project by himself so far, but would like others to help. Another group that is also involved and has been involved with recycling at SCCC/ATS is Pathways, and the club has now taken the lead role in recycling on campus. Don Hayes is the adviser of Pathways. The college now has more recycling bins to alleviate the cans that were in overflow status. “There are about half a dozen more new bins,” Hayes said. More than 30 recycling bins have been installed. Club members will go through the recycling bins and make sure that only recycled trash are in them. Hayes and the Pathways members are going to take the recycling items to a recycling center somewhere out of town to increase recycling efforts. They plan to pick the center that has the most effective cause. Hayes said the reason he enjoys doing this is because he sees the value in helping students save our planet. “We, at Pathways, recycle for our world because we are part of the world,” Hayes said. Haas stated he is doing his part because he wants to help raise money for student scholarships, raise awareness about environmental issues, and “show people how little changes in their lifestyle can help the environment and the community.” People can help not just by collecting and recycling, but also by informing others and getting them involved. “I think this will be successful if students and employees get involved,” Haas said. People who want to help with the recycling can find a cardboard box in the division office for math and science for now.