Fairfield and recycling are like oil and water. So many beer cans and other recyclables end up in the same place – the trash can in the bathroom. Environmentally concerned students have voiced concerns over this waste before only to be told by the university that they were in full compliance with State standards. Now, we have a new pilot program in place in several dorms with the hope of boosting recycling numbers.
Currently, according to Jim Fitzpatrick, we must recycle 20% of all total waste by Connecticut law. We are at 23%. These numbers are meager by any comparison. When most of us recycle at close to 100% of cans, bottles, and newspapers in our hometowns why should we lower our standard here? So let’s say hypothetically I have 10 Cokes and I throw out 8 and recycle 2. Are those numbers sensible? Of course not. Fairfield can have near 100% recycling if the administration really wants it.
The pilot program in place has been poorly planned, advertised, and executed. Living in Loyola I hardly even knew of the new bins. There was no “campus announcement” in my email or “News Break” in my mailbox. Basically, this paper and the grapevine informed me. As the President of Loyola Residence Hall Government you would think that I would be more informed of a new program in my building. As students we are inundated by countless “announcements” in campus pipeline that we never asked for and are, on the whole, usually useless. The University spams us and then keeps important matters like recycling out of the news. This is a rare instance where by not e-mailing us they are depriving us of some actually valuable information.
The simple fact remains that recycling cans in lounges are the opposite of what we need. The choice to recycle is one that involves changing day-to-day patterns. Cans need to be placed right by the trashcan in each bathroom – campus wide. In addition, trash cans in classrooms and on the campus grounds need to be accompanied by recycling bins. There needs to be advertising building wide and campus wide.
In a prior article, Assistant Vice-President of Student Services Jim Fitzpatrick was quoted as saying, “If we save money from recycling, dollars become available for other programs. If we don’t recycle we’re throwing our money away.” Mr. Fitzpatrick is correct in this statement, but the actions that followed seem disproportional. When budgetary restraints force two varsity programs to be shuttered, why are we throwing away dollars every week? Using simple math we can make over $10,000 a week by fully recycling and redeeming under Connecticut’s redemption program. Six beverages in either cans or bottles produce 210,000 redeemable items, which, at 5 cents apiece, yields $10,500.
The numbers simply do not add up. In the uncertain economic times we are in why aren’t we cashing in on our trash? The simple change in the pattern of life from tossing cans and bottles into the trashcan to tossing them in the recycling bin is not all that difficult. What it is though is sound fiscal sense. We have the ability to make positive news through our environmental efforts while filling our coffers on the side. Personally I would rather toss a can in a recycling can and see my tuition go down.
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