Spring Break
Staff Editorial: Dumpster dive reveals Eastern's newfound recycling problem
Issue date: 10/27/09 Section: Opinions
It may or may not be well known to college students, but when the end of the year rolls around, dumpster diving is a veritable Christmas-come-early to those left in the aftermath of Eastern students' mass exodus.
When the dust settles, most years a great mass of nearly new and completely usable goods and wares are often left in and around dumpsters all over Charleston.
Gaming consoles, televisions and stereo systems - all types of items are left about for any who desire them.
But the type of dumpster diving led by the University Development and Recycling Committee of the Student Senate last weekend was quite different than typically seen. Six students, along with Ryan Siegel, campus energy and sustainability coordinator, rummaged through dumpsters at three different buildings around campus in order to determine just how much had been thrown into the trash that could actually have been recycled.
The results showed a disturbing find: Eastern students are throwing far more away than just usable electronics.
At the end of the event, the results were recorded and added up. According to an article in Monday's edition of The Daily Eastern News, "Outside Thomas Hall alone, the team rescued two lbs. of cardboard, 11.4 lbs. of plastic, 5.7 lbs. of plastic bags and 30.5 lbs. of steel cans…"
While Eastern has proved that as a university, we are standing head and shoulders above many other universities in the state in terms of keeping our campus green, there is still much work to be done.
While the university has taken great strides to make Eastern a green campus, ultimately, a system is only as good as the participation it garners.
Students must continue to make the effort to walk that extra five feet to a recycling bin instead of committing that cardinal sin that hangs over the heads of all our age: Laziness.
Granted, there are still more trash cans around than recycling bins, but they are plentiful and apparent, all students need to do is look for them.
When the dust settles, most years a great mass of nearly new and completely usable goods and wares are often left in and around dumpsters all over Charleston.
Gaming consoles, televisions and stereo systems - all types of items are left about for any who desire them.
But the type of dumpster diving led by the University Development and Recycling Committee of the Student Senate last weekend was quite different than typically seen. Six students, along with Ryan Siegel, campus energy and sustainability coordinator, rummaged through dumpsters at three different buildings around campus in order to determine just how much had been thrown into the trash that could actually have been recycled.
The results showed a disturbing find: Eastern students are throwing far more away than just usable electronics.
At the end of the event, the results were recorded and added up. According to an article in Monday's edition of The Daily Eastern News, "Outside Thomas Hall alone, the team rescued two lbs. of cardboard, 11.4 lbs. of plastic, 5.7 lbs. of plastic bags and 30.5 lbs. of steel cans…"
While Eastern has proved that as a university, we are standing head and shoulders above many other universities in the state in terms of keeping our campus green, there is still much work to be done.
While the university has taken great strides to make Eastern a green campus, ultimately, a system is only as good as the participation it garners.
Students must continue to make the effort to walk that extra five feet to a recycling bin instead of committing that cardinal sin that hangs over the heads of all our age: Laziness.
Granted, there are still more trash cans around than recycling bins, but they are plentiful and apparent, all students need to do is look for them.
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