Since September, I have asked a couple dozen Ball State University students about the recycling program on campus. More than 90 percent feel the program has few problems - however, when I asked the students what could and could not be recycled very few gave an informed answer.
Sadly, this small informal survey only shows the tip of the iceberg.
After talking to a faculty member and students involved with environmental activities on campus, I found a lack of an educational system and major structural and managerial problems with the program. A recycling coordinator would help lessen or eliminate these problems with the recycling program, and would increase Ball State's standing as an environmentally friendly school.
Based on my experience with my previous school's recycling system, recycling programs will work properly when students, staff and visitors are informed of how to recycle. This includes presentations about the program, signs that clearly indicate what can be placed in the containers and brochures given to incoming students and staff. Without these components, people who use the recycling containers probably will not make informed decisions.
The lack of education causes increased contamination in the recycling containers, which in turn can cause would-be recyclables to be thrown away at the recycling plant, where the recyclables are processed. This is because workers at the recycling plant go through the recycle bags and check for contamination. If the worker feels the bag contains too much trash, the entire bag, recyclables and all, will be sent to the landfill, according to Nadia Roumie, president of the Students for a Sustainable Campus Club. A recycling coordinator would have the ability to create an educational program to help decrease the contamination rate.
After my observations of the program throughout campus, I noticed the structural component by far needs the most work. For starters, several different types of containers for recycling exist on campus. Below are pictures I have taken of different recycling containers, although there are many more different types of containers throughout campus.
The problem with most of these containers is that what can be put in them is not clearly marked. Since there are so many different types of containers, the connection between recycling and a specific type of container is not made when a person is disposing of waste. This can result in frustration and thus decreases the motivation of somebody who wants to recycle. Another structural problem is that recycling containers are not placed next to garbage cans, as seen in the pictures. Not having a garbage can next to recycling containers results in high contamination, according to Dr. John Vann who coordinates Ball State's Green Initiatives program.
Hiring a recycling coordinator would be beneficial because the program would be centralized. Although Ball State would incur the expense of paying the coordinator, the Michigan State University and Cal State San Marcos recycling representatives reported breaking even or earning money. According to Cal State San Marcos recycling Web site, their program saves $233,000 on landfill costs annually.
Not only would Ball State's environmental impact be improved, the university would have a better environmental reputation and would produce more environmentally conscious graduates. A recycling coordinator would educate students so that when asked what can be recycled, they will give an informed answer. Solving our recycling crisis is within our reach, so why not fix it?
Carissa Buchholz is a freshman natural resources and environmental management major and wrote this 'Your Turn' for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
Write to Carissa at ccbuchholz@bsu.edu.
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