Senate-led recycling initiative increases enviromental awareness
In an effort to care for Waynesburg University and for the future of our environment, student organizations are coming together this semester to begin a recycling initiative on campus.
The idea was born in Student Senate, which consists of committees that address various projects and issues on campus.
Clarice Hune, a junior nursing major and academic vice president on the Executive Board of Student Senate, is the head of the Recycling Committee. She and her committee have realized the importance of recycling for the university and have begun work on reforming the current campus system.
“We’ve recognized for a long time that there isn’t a whole lot of recycling going on [across] campus,” said Hune. “We have a few bins that are around campus, but often times they become full very quickly, or in the case of the dorms, there’s maybe one per dorm, so it’s inconvenient for students.”
The Ecostewards, an environmentally centered club on campus, will be joining forces with Student Senate for the initiative.
Lindsey Bloomster, a senior environmental science major and president of the Ecostewards, said her group is participating because recycling is important to the club’s mission.
“Our club is supposed to be helping environmentally on campus and in the area, and being stewards to God while we do it,” said Bloomster.
Hune and Bloomster are also working with Joshua Dains, Student Senate president; Terry Sattler, director of facilities planning and management; and Janet Paladino, advisor to the Ecostewards club. Collectively, they hope to improve the university’s process for recycling and increase the amount of recycling students engage in.
The first obstacle for the project is the current provider the university uses for recycling.
“Currently, Greene Arc collects our recycling,” said Hune. “But we have a couple problems with them, so we’re looking into switching to something that’s a little more efficient.”
Hune said she and the other project coordinators will be meeting within the next few weeks with a potential provider to assess the benefits of switching from Greene Arc.
“One thing that we really would like is a system that is one stream, and that means that [the provider] will take anything that’s recyclable and you can throw it all in one bin, so we don’t have to take the time separating it out,” said Hune. “In addition, we want to get more recycling bins and put them in more accessible areas for students.”
They would also like to work with a provider that comes to campus and takes recyclables away. Currently, students empty the recycling bins around campus every Friday and carry the bags to a dumpster where Greene Arc picks them up.
The main problem with adding these services, according to Bloomster, is a lack of funding. Receiving additional recycling bins and having a provider come to collect the recycling costs money that Bloomster says the project doesn’t have.
Hune said she hopes these issues will be worked out so that the project can move ahead within the next few months.
At the same time that logistics are being worked out, the Ecostewards are formulating plans for educating students on the importance of recycling for the environment.
Bloomster says she thinks habitual recycling now could “lead to a lifestyle change” for students.
“I think if we start it at a college level, it’ll build a better foundation for students,” said Bloomster.
As the Ecostewards dive into the recycling initiative and other projects, Bloomster says they are always looking for new members, and students are welcome to email her if they are interested in joining the club. In the meantime, she and the other project coordinators hope everyone on campus will simply take the time to recycle.
“We really want people to see the value in recycling and take part in it, because it’s really not that difficult, and it can make a difference,” said Hune.