Recycling at PUC: an eco-torial
Issue date: 3/8/10 Section: Opinion
The University has taken strides in the direction of making PUC an eco-friendly campus. A real recycling program is under way. Other organizations on campus are doing their part by offering different means to recycle waste.
Yet more can be done.
PUC is not maximizing its potential greenness. Everyday students, faculty and workers are still throwing away a lot of items that could be recycled.
"Reduce, reuse, recycle" is not so much a slogan, but more of a way of life. A way of life many students are not buying into yet. Some even claim recycling is a waste of resources for all but a few recyclable items.
According to Gideon Falk, 80% of students support the idea of recycling, yet only 10% actually recycle.
So far, most printers on campus have a recycling bin near enough for people to throw away unneeded sheets of paper. There are also big green trashcans in every building for students to throw recyclable items into.
But how much is not making it into these containers? How many students walk past these containers without realizing what they're missing?
How much recyclable waste is making it to the local landfill?
Students, faculty and administrators on campus should ask them selves "Am I doing my part?" With that in mind, how long will it take for every class room to boast a recycle bin? How long will it take for garbage not to be mistakenly put in the blue bins and instead in the trashcans.
Education and awareness along with participation is key to an effective recycling program. If students and faculty do not understand the magnitude of what they throw away, any attempts the University makes to "go green" will be futile.
All across campus, light switches in offices are being replaced with motion sensors which automatically turn the lights off when everyone leaves. Little changes like these do help, but are they enough, or is it too little too late for us?
This University leaves a massive eco-footprint. Many lights stay on all night for maintenance and security purposes, not to mention the cars for our 10,000 students spew forth incredible amounts of pollution.
While PUC has a huge eco-footprint, everyone can do their part to lessen it by practicing the age-old adage: "Reduce, reuse, recycle."
Yet more can be done.
PUC is not maximizing its potential greenness. Everyday students, faculty and workers are still throwing away a lot of items that could be recycled.
"Reduce, reuse, recycle" is not so much a slogan, but more of a way of life. A way of life many students are not buying into yet. Some even claim recycling is a waste of resources for all but a few recyclable items.
According to Gideon Falk, 80% of students support the idea of recycling, yet only 10% actually recycle.
So far, most printers on campus have a recycling bin near enough for people to throw away unneeded sheets of paper. There are also big green trashcans in every building for students to throw recyclable items into.
But how much is not making it into these containers? How many students walk past these containers without realizing what they're missing?
How much recyclable waste is making it to the local landfill?
Students, faculty and administrators on campus should ask them selves "Am I doing my part?" With that in mind, how long will it take for every class room to boast a recycle bin? How long will it take for garbage not to be mistakenly put in the blue bins and instead in the trashcans.
Education and awareness along with participation is key to an effective recycling program. If students and faculty do not understand the magnitude of what they throw away, any attempts the University makes to "go green" will be futile.
All across campus, light switches in offices are being replaced with motion sensors which automatically turn the lights off when everyone leaves. Little changes like these do help, but are they enough, or is it too little too late for us?
This University leaves a massive eco-footprint. Many lights stay on all night for maintenance and security purposes, not to mention the cars for our 10,000 students spew forth incredible amounts of pollution.
While PUC has a huge eco-footprint, everyone can do their part to lessen it by practicing the age-old adage: "Reduce, reuse, recycle."
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green printer
Pat Berger
posted 3/08/10 @ 11:34 AM CST
Mercer Color has continued the enhancement of the ECOLITH process.
The following link is informative.
http://www.mercercolor.com/staticmailing/greenpressroom. (Continued…)
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