Boise State’s recycling efforts have diverted about 37,000 pounds of mixed metal from the Ada County Landfill and raised $37,500 to support 15 grants for student scholarships at the university.

The scholarships are the result of a partnership with the Idaho Youth Education Recycling Partnership (iYERP), an initiative of the John William Jackson Fund. iYERP supplies containers to participating organizations to collect scrap metal. The scrap is recycled by Pacific Steel & Recycling. The fund then presents grants based on the value of the recycled material.

Bill Jackson is the vice president of development for the fund, which was founded to honor John William Jackson, who died in a 1998 accident while conducting graduate research. From all partners, the fund raised a total of $130,250 in 2013 to provide opportunities for Idaho children.

“It’s really nice for the university to be in a leadership position,” said Jackson. He noted that Boise State “started something great with this partnership and already two additional schools are adopting the same model.”

Boise State placed its first scrap metal recycling bin on campus in the spring of 2013 in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint while benefitting the student body. Support for student scholarships is the university’s greatest need and top philanthropic priority.

In addition to grants given by the fund, the university was awarded the Environmental Stewardship Project award for the recycling work done while building the Bleymaier Football Complex, as well as the Platinum Level Environmental Stewardship award for the total amount collected in 2013.

Boise State will advance its recycling efforts in 2014 with the addition of two bins, located at the campus heat plant and at the surplus yard located off Gage Street. The pair of bins joins the original, located at the Facilities Operations and Maintenance building.

For more information about supporting student scholarships at Boise State, visit the Boise State Foundation webpage.