Even though curbside recycling is not offered by Charleston, students still have options for recycling off-campus especially with Earth Day coming up Friday.

Curbside recycling is a service where a hauler picks up recycling materials such as aluminum, glass, paper, and plastic and is offered by three private companies.

She said when her roommate called for trash pick up a Coles County Sanitation Inc. employee asked if they would like to pay for the curbside recycling service.

Catherine Olsen, a sophomore family consumer sciences major, said she recycles her bottles in the blue bins on campus, but she does not pay for curbside recycling services.

She said recycling is important and she would recycle if University Village offered the service

Three companies offer curbside recycling: Coles County Sanitation Inc, Morgan and Veolia Environmental.

Coles County Sanitation Inc. has operated in Charleston for more than 20 years. Each hauler offers curbside recycling for $7 a month. The hauler picks up recycling every other week, said an employee at Coles County Sanitation Inc.

Morgan offers curbside recycling for $5 a month. Each hauler picks up recycling every other week, said Dave Morgan, an employee of Morgan.

“We did not offer drop-off recycling to students,” Morgan said.

Veolia Environmental offers curbside recycling services and picks up the recycling every other week as well.

Veolia charges $37.12 for three months of service.

Elizabeth Edwards can be reached at 581-2812

or eaedwards@eiu.edu.