Paul D. Camp Community College will now be able to roll out comprehensive recycling programming across the entire college thanks to a grant from Keep America Beautiful.

“We are thrilled with this new award,” said Paul Conco, president of the college. “We’ve been waiting for some time to be able to roll out recycling for students, faculty, staff and the community who utilize our sites. The new recycling program allows for us to be great stewards at an even higher level than we’ve been able to do without the bins.”

The college received 30 recycling bins for placement on its Franklin and Suffolk campuses, Smithfield site and at the Regional Workforce Development Center as part of a national recycling bin grant made possible by Keep America Beautiful and The Coca-Cola Foundation.

In its ninth year, the program is providing nearly 4,500 recycling bins to colleges and universities, nonprofits and local governments, with 35 percent of the total to be used by students in collegiate residence halls.

Coca-Cola has expanded its investment in the bin grant program to include a specific focus on two-year community colleges, with 15 recycling bin grants going to two-year colleges and 28 grants going to traditional four-year colleges and universities.

“The bins will be part of a user-friendly mixed recycling program that allows aluminum, paper, plastic and glass to all be deposited in the same receptacle,” PDCCC Sustainability Coordinator Terry Hayes said.

Bins will be placed alongside existing trashcans in all campus hallways, as well as in the student lounge, libraries and the college bookstore.

“Through this program and our more than 50-year partnership with Keep America Beautiful, we are helping to ensure that communities understand the importance of recycling,” said Lori George Billingsley, vice president of community relations for Coca-Cola North America. “Community recycling not only impacts the environment today, but it helps build sustainable communities for the future.”

“By providing recycling bins to communities, organizations and universities, we can make a difference in increasing recycling in the U.S. and help overcome a main barrier of recycling — convenience,” said Brenda Pulley, senior vice president for recycling at Keep America Beautiful. “We are truly grateful for Coca-Cola’s continued support and commitment to recycling, and the Recycling Bin Grant Program.”

Recipients were chosen by Keep America Beautiful based on the extent of their need, recycling experience and their ability to sustain the program in the future. Special outreach was made to colleges and universities through a partnership with the College and University Recycling Coalition, a membership organization serving campus recycling managers.

Since 2007, the program has placed more than 35,000 recycling bins in over 500 communities across the United States.

For more information about PDCCC’s sustainability efforts, visit www.pdc.edu/about/sustainability.