St. John, USVI – June 25, 2026 – A group of Iowa State students here in the territory volunteering this summer spent time at nonprofit Island Green Living’s Recycling Center at the ReSource Depot today and Tuesday, lending their efforts and muscle in a big way. Approximately 10 students and their organizers, Jodi Cornell, Director, CALS Study Abroad and Associate Professor Julie Blanchong, sorted recyclables and helped prepare items for shipping. Island Green recycles aluminum and #1, 2 and 5 plastics and encourages those from the community and visitors alike to please volunteer, even if they only have an hour or two!

“Having the students from Iowa State here really exemplifies how community, when we get together and we work together, can conquer issues,” said Vice President and Interim CEO Dawn Henry. “Island Green is leading the effort in the territory to source separate to keep resources from filling our landfill, and we encourage Virgin Islands to not only help by volunteering with us, but also by asking Waste Management to step up efforts by source separating on a municipal basis. The Waste Management Authority’s role is essential to the territory’s success.”

“Island Green values our volunteers and donors greatly in ensuring our recycling program continues. We truly could not operate without them and we thank the Iowa State students as well as Jodi and Julie,” said President Harith Wickrema. “We have still not received our full 2024 allocation from the legislature and were not included in the 2025 budget, so although we are performing a municipal service by collecting and recycling hundreds of thousands of aluminum cans and ocean-bound plastic containers per year, we do so almost exclusively through donations and volunteers.”

Jodi Cornell and Julie Blanchong expressed appreciation for the opportunity to work with Island Green Living. “The organization makes a huge difference. It’s nice to see local people working, caring for the island, caring for the territory, and it is nice that when visitors come, they do their fair share to keep this island beautiful,” said Associate Professor Blanchong. “We thank you for the opportunity for our students, for all of us, to learn and do something productive while we are here,” added Director Cornell.

To date, Island Green has recycled 5.2+ million aluminum cans and 167,000+ lbs of ocean-bound plastics since inception, RESOURCES saved from polluting our land and sea.

Island Green emphasizes that although recycling is critical to sustainable waste management, the first step is to RETHINK and minimize consumption, especially of single-use plastic.

The public can deposit RINSED #1, 2 & 5 plastics and aluminum cans in Island Green’s specially marked receptacles at the following St. John locations:

• Cruz Bay: Main VIWMA site across from EC Gas Station & Alfredo’s Landscaping
• Cruz Bay: Bin at Caneel Bay Fuel Dock
• Gifft Hill Road: VIWMA site just past Gifft Hill School
• Coral Bay: Main VIWMA site across from Love City Mini Mart

Additionally the community can drop off at Island Green Living’s ReSource Depot located behind VITEMA on Gifft Hill Road just off Centerline.

Island Green Living has an esteemed history of sustainable programming and conservation in the US Virgin Islands. The organization’s ReSource Depot thrift shop has kept more than a million pounds of building, household, clothing and other materials out of landfills. The nonprofit has worked closely on banning plastic bags, straws and toxic sunscreen, “Ban the Burn” of vegetative debris and other environmental legislation as well as issues such as food security and greening education with Planet Green Force.

Island Green Living Association is a registered 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization on St. John dedicated to sustainability throughout the USVI. www.islandgreenliving.org.