As you take the last gulp of gatorade, you look around the room and notice there is no opportunity to recycle, only a big gray trash can. Do you place it in the trash can, confront faculty and staff about not having a recycling bin, or put the bottle in your bag and wait until the opportunity to recycle comes along?
In certain parts of the world, such as California, recycling is just as natural as breathing, people are even taking on more responsibility by composting. In other areas, people do not acknowledge the act nor see the impact it has on earth by conserving energy.
Cabrini University has been making efforts to integrate recycling into our daily lives.
Students, Staff, and Faculty joined in alliance creating the Cabrini Green Team, whose mission is to uphold Cabrini’s commitment to the stewardship of Earth by increasing sustainability.
By simply placing a recycling bin next to a trash bin, students are encouraged to make the right the decision, even if they are unaware of what gets recycled, they at least make the effort to do so by stopping to think “does this get recycled?”
Some of paired bins on campus even have a sign above the recycling bins explaining what gets recycled. However, that does not stop the people who simply do not care about recycling to simply throw plastic bottles in the garbage when the opportunity to conserve is staring them right in the face.
Dr. Ray Ward, director of the Green Team, compares the act of recycling to religion.
“You got some people who are big believers, committed, and grew up in that.. maybe,” Ward said. “But when you get out of that environment and you see the rest of the world, you see that not everyone shares the same faith.”
But the faith is established here at Cabrini, as they encourage recycling in their academic buildings, residential buildings and dining halls. General Manager of Sodexo (Cabrini’s food service), Tracey Eells, says the kitchen takes it a step further than just paper and plastic. “Apart from paper plates and the basics, we also encourage our cooks to recycle the cooking oil,” Eells said. “It can be reused to make other great dishes in later times.”
One rebuttal (or myth) as to why people do not recycle is because they are skeptical that both recycled bags and regular trash bags get thrown into the same trash truck and never get separated again.
Senior graphic design major Kyle Wimmer used to question the act before he joined the Green Team. “I heard from somewhere that only 10 percent of what we recycle is actually reused,” Wimmer said.
If you are in disbelief the trash companies will not carry out your intent to recycle, you can always take matters into your own hands. Composting is one of most effective recycling methods, by letting the Earth’s soil take in the useless biological nutrients decompose. You can also take your paper and plastic to a creative artist who makes sculptures out of such material.
Electronics can be reused as well. You have the option to recycle your cell phone back to the company once you upgrade to a new phone, or companies like eBay are developing programs to help find a new home for the recyclable robot.
Anticipate recycling, increase sustainability, and pass it on! “My life is so short, compared to all the other lives that are going to be here,” Ward said. “I owe it to everyone else to tread lightly during these years.”
