Imagine a place run by the Lost Boys from the movie Hook being led by “The Most Interesting Man In The World.” Now include the fact that they are saving the planet.
This dream-like place of wonderment exists, and it’s on campus, and it is the ASI Recycling Center.
First, you have this pack of crazy hoodlums with nothing to do all day except rifle through copious amounts of trash and get into trouble, all of which are students here at CSULB with majors ranging anywhere from Industrial Design to Film, led by the real life most interesting man ever, Lee Johnson. Johnson has been running the center for four years, has been in a gang, lived in Bermuda, and hand-fed coyotes.
Four months ago, I was lucky enough to get a job at the center, and become invested into this group. However, the funny thing is, before I got the position I didn’t even know we had a recycling center on campus. The reason is because it’s completely hidden way back in the corner of the ominous lot 14. However, this seclusion allows for some pretty crazy shit to go down. We somehow are able to find time outside making the world a better place, to do things like outfit an electric vehicle with a mustache, have daily barrel stacking competitions, or even take revealing photos of each other frolicking in the garbage. But my point is, if you spend enough time at the center, you begin to get an idea that the guys going through over 150,000 pounds of material a month really make the center a way cooler place to go than you could have ever imagined. I mean, the fact that when you come in you aren’t faced with a giant robot with a hole in the front of it like at the back of the super market, but instead, a human being who is there to give you a hand and probably make you laugh, makes it the best.
Because our recycling center is an award-winning and State-certified drop-off facility, you can bring in all the glass, plastic, aluminum, scrap metal, paper, and cardboard you can carry because we will take it all, and usually give you some money for it. We’re open from 9 to 4:30 everyday, except Tuesday, so the next time you have a huge party and are left with the decision to dump all of your Smirnoff ice bottles on your neighbor’s lawn, or take the time to come down to the center, think about how much more fun it would be to come by and hang out with the guys and get some beer money for next weekend’s party.
P.S. The Pyramid topped recycle bins that you see around campus have a circle shaped hole in them for a reason. The next time you go to smash your entire uneaten Subway sandwich into it, just stop and throw that shit in a trash can.
