Make an Effort to Recycle

While Quinnipiac claims to be a “green” campus, the students that go here certainly can not.

The university provides recycling bins in every dorm room, residence hall, and classroom, as well as in various locations around campus, but I rarely see anyone using them. In most areas, the recycling bin is right next to the trash can, yet too much paper and too many plastic or glass bottles end up in the garbage. If the recycling is right there, why not put your bottle in the small, blue bin? It doesn’t take much effort or require you to walk any further than the trash can.

I understand that sometimes recycling can be difficult. Something that needs to be rinsed may not want to be, or there may not be a recycling bin in an accessible location. But think about all the good that can come from recycling just one bottle or just one piece of paper.

According to the United States’s Environmental Protection Agency, not only would you be reducing the amount of hazardous waste and saving natural resources by recycling, you would also be saving money. Many communities have a “Pay-as-You-Throw” program, in which you pay for the amount of trash you throw away, instead of paying a flat rate. By reducing the amount of waste you produce, you would be saving yourself money. You can also pay less by buying products in bulk since less material is needed to package the items.

Or maybe you just don’t want to recycle. Trust me, I know many of you. My roommate, for instance, refuses to recycle her iced tea and water bottles on her own, unless she is walking in that direction anyway. On many occasions, I come back to my suite to find several bottles lined up outside my bedroom door. While it can be a nuisance at times, at least these things are getting recycled. I would much rather have an obstacle to my door than for the bottles to end up in the trash.

I’m not asking you to go out of your way to put something in the recycling bin instead of the trash, but at least make an effort. If you’re in the York Hill cafe, where the only bin is near the mailboxes, walk in that direction, or take your bottle with you. There’s probably a good chance that you’ll pass a Trash and Recycling Closet on the way to your suite. If you’re at Mount Carmel, throw it in the blue bins instead of placing it on the conveyor belt. Or, if you’re like my roommate, find someone to recycle for you. It doesn’t matter how you do it, but please, PLEASE, try your best to recycle and make Quinnipiac an actual “green” university.

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