Tara Pike, founder and manager of UNLV’s Rebel Recycling, joined the show to share how a student-led project grew into a 30-year sustainability program impacting both campus and the Las Vegas community. She’ll walk us through the program’s evolution and what’s ahead, including a new fundraising effort to expand initiatives like “All in the Hall.”

From dumpster diving to developing a recycling program, this UNLV graduate aims to continue making a difference on campus.

It’s easy to miss the campus recycling center, housed in a small dirt lot on the corner of Flamingo Road and University Center Drive. Somewhat unseen in a tucked-away part of the campus, the program’s impacts are immense. “When I used to give presentations back in the 2000s, I’d say, ‘We used to do 2 tons a week. Now, we do 2 tons a day,’” Pike said. “Eventually, that became 4 tons a day.”

Tara Pike is no stranger to dumpster diving. In the early 1990s, she was among the first students at UNLV to pursue a degree in the newly established environmental studies program, and she devoted years to research that ultimately reshaped the university’s approach to campus recycling operations.

Three decades later, Pike leads the university’s recycling program, working to establish UNLV as a model of campus sustainability.

The Rebel Recycling Center on UNLV Campus is celebrating its 30th anniversary and marking the milestone with a $30,000 fundraising campaign to expand the "All in the Hall" program.

Many people keep their Christmas trees up until after the New Year, but there's an eco-friendly way to dispose of them. Recycling your real tree can help keep it out of landfills. Tara Pike from UNLV's Facilities Management shared more about this initiative.