A bottle can serve a purpose even when it’s empty.The city of Columbus hopes to send this message to citizens through the two recycling programs it offers in conjunction with Rumpke Waste Removal and Recycling Inc.The first program allows residents to deposit recyclable materials at designated sites free of charge. The drop-off location closest to Ohio State is at Kroger supermarket, 1350 N. High St.Curbside pick-up service, the second program which costs $4 per month, is also an option, said Lesley Deaderick, a spokeswoman for the City of Columbus Refuse Collection Division.For this fee, Rumpke will provide a 14-gallon plastic bin for recyclable waste, which is picked up the same day the city collects trash.Paper, cardboard, aluminum, glass and plastic products are all recyclable, Deaderick said. Items don’t need to be sorted, except for newspapers and magazines. These can be bundled separately for the curbside program, but they are not accepted at the drop-off sites, she said.The city began the curbside program two years ago. Based on the results of an eight-year pilot project, a monthly fee was implemented. “We realized that free curbside recycling wouldn’t be cost effective,” she said.Columbus is on the cutting edge of recycling, Deaderick said. “A lot of cities have had to reassess their programs because they weren’t cost effective,” she said. “Many charge for trash, and part of the fee goes to recycling,” she said.Both programs allow people to control how much they are involved in recycling.Angela Gerber, a senior majoring in dietetics from Zanesville, said that she prefers her hometown’s program.”They come and pick up your recyclables for free, along with your trash. If you don’t separate them then you get fined,” she said. “I just don’t see students wanting to pay for it.”Michael Shea, a senior majoring in communications, said students should be willing to participate in the programs.”I just don’t think enough people know about it,” Shea said. “If everyone did their part, we’d be a lot closer to solving our waste problems.”