Recycling efforts at Rice are in the spotlight once again as part of a growing conversation sparked by dedicated student and faculty involvement. Richard Johnson, director of the Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management at Rice, announced that administration has set a new recycling goal, which aims to divert 40 percent of all waste to recycling by the year 2020.

According to Johnson, who is also a professor of environmental studies and sociology, the initiative was driven by the efforts of two students, McMurtry College junior Ben Johnson and Jones College senior Ethan Hasiuk. The pair interned with Richard Johnson this past summer, and he said their comprehensive review led administration to reconsider Rice’s current approach to recycling.