On Recycling
By: Brian Parks
Recently, we have heard names such as Green Action, Green House, the Lehigh Environmental Advisory Group (LEAG), and the Environmental Coalition (ECo). These groups have a variety of goals dealing with environmental issues on campus, one of the most successful and evident of which is the advocacy of recycling.
Certain student groups have taken it upon themselves to provide methods for students on campus to recycle. Others have placed well-marked recycling bins in their own residence halls to encourage recycling as well. Green Action sponsors a recycling drive in the Upper UC on Mondays and Thursdays from 12 to 1 PM. Everything collected is then brought to Green House and taken, by bicycle, to the recycling center.
Green Action also was responsible for analyzing the recyclable content of UC trash bins just a few months ago. While this action may have been intended to cause a reaction (which it undoubtedly did), it threw into perspective the extent to which the university and the campus participate in recycling.
However, these clubs and organizations do not have the capacity to provide recycling services to the entire campus at nearly the level that they feel is optimal. Natalie Smith, a proponent of a University-sponsored recycling program and a member of Green Action, mentioned that what the environmentally-centered clubs have been doing is meant primarily as a temporary solution, in the hopes that the University will adopt a more widespread policy.
In addition, Leadership Lehigh recently attempted to measure the recycling done in Ulrich Student Center and Linderman Library, finding (to their disbelief) that Linderman was severely lacking in the number of recycling bins. In fact, the only place available to dispose of the glass bottles served in Lucy’s Cafe is the trash beside the door.
One new organization, the Environmental Coalition, has been actively involved in discussing how a University-sponsored program would manifest itself. The Environmental Coalition was formed as a student umbrella organization encompassing the goals of all the environmentally-focused clubs. As one of their first actions, ECo took an inventory of the recycling done in the Academic buildings, locating bins and determining the extent to which people were actually recycling. ECo also recently met with the administration with a plan to expand on the current distribution of recycling facilities.
One of the major issues with placing bins in certain buildings was the aesthetic character of the bins. It seems unanimous among the advocates of recycling programs that bins for the various types of recyclable material should be color-coded, and uniform around campus. For example, a bin for glass in E. W. Fairchild Martindale Library should be the same size, shape, color, and carry the same signage as the equivalent bin in Packard Lab.
Tony Corallo, Vice President of Facilities Services, supports the placement of recycling bins around campus, but disagrees with the uniformity of the bins. From an architectural standpoint, he feels that the type of container that would fit with the color scheme and layout of a building like Brodhead would not fit well with that of a building like Linderman Library. Instead, he proposes that the signs used to indicate the various receptacles be uniform in color, design, and message, though the bins to which they refer may be different to fit the surrounding areas.
In addition to ECo, the President’s Office recently created LEAG as a committee of students and faculty to, among other things, “ratify and carry forward the importance of environment as an obligation of the university to not only be a responsible steward of our own role in the common good, but also to educate, and ‘teach by doing,’ future generations of citizens,” as set forth in President Gast’s official goals. According to Alice Kodama, student representative from the Class of 2009, LEAG has approved ECo’s efforts in reviewing and revising the University recycling program with help from Facilities Services.
Kodama also said she believes that “the University should begin implementing the recycling plans that the Environmental Coalition has come up with as quickly and efficiently as possible.” She feels that although initial costs may be expensive, the efforts will decrease contamination and potentially reduce trash removal costs.
“I am hoping that the recycling system will change in the near future and that trust will be brought back into the system.” Kodama noted that, as LEAG has only had two meetings since its inception, the committee is still defining themselves.
Jessica Engle, the Senior Class representative to LEAG, added that there are four main focuses in the recycling issue. One is the concern over what locations currently have recycling bins and which buildings need them. Another is that of informing the students about the recycling program and creating appropriate signage. Also, LEAG is focusing on reducing the amount of waste that is generated and working toward purchasing only plastics 1 and 2 (the types Lehigh currently is able to recycle). Finally, they are concerned with providing accountability and training for OneSource, the company charged with taking care of recycling.
