The Tripod

Looking at the number of bottles and cans mixed into any trash can on campus makes evident the fact that lack of recycling is an issue at Trinity. The blame for this can be pointed to the fact that there is no unified recycling system or plan on campus. In order to fix this problem, Green Campus has submitted a proposal to the Student Government Association (SGA) for the creation of a group of six students coined the "Trinity College Recycling Task Force." The proposal was approved and the Task Force has been created.

The plan is based on successful programs on other college campuses. The Task Force would work to educate the campus on what items are recyclable at Trinity and how they should be disposed of. This would be done by distributing educational materials and by having members be available for questions. The members would also inspect recycling and trash bins in dorms to ensure that they are being used correctly on a regular basis. Each group member would be paid a stipend funded by the president and by the SGA, and would monitor bins at least two days a week.

The Task Force would be a way of making students more responsible for their part in recylcing. Joe Barber, Director of Community Service and Civic Engagement, said, "Students are attempting to take ownership of recycling and have a bigger impact over recycling on campus." David Kimball-Stanley '09, member of the SGA's Campus Infrastructure Committee, echoed this by saying that part of the power of this proposal is that it "puts a student face behind recycling." He also expressed that part of the problem with recycling is that "students don't know much about recycling and it doesn't help that signage on campus isn't great."

Student opinions back up the idea that the problem with Trinity recycling lies more in a lack of knowledge than in a lack of desire. Matt Phinney '10 believes "sometimes students are going to do what is easiest, but if you give them the opportunities to recycle, I think they will."

"It's an excellent idea and a step in the right direction towards making Trinity a greener campus," said Emily Quinton '11. "There's no better way to encourage students to be conscious of their impact than to actually have their peers promote recylcing on campus."

It seems that students do want to do their part, but that Trinity doesn't have the necessary resources. Jillian Steckloff '11 said, "A lot of the recycling bins on campus have just two holes for bottle and can recycling but there is much more that can be recycled." Brenna Driscoll '08 added, "People know that they should recycle but sometimes don't think of it. Putting smaller recycling bins in individual rooms might be more effective."

One of the biggest issues with recycling is contamination, which is when trash is mixed in with recyclables. Students commonly leave the tops on bottles or throw a pieces of trash into the wrong container. Elisabeth Cianciola '10, co-chair of Green Campus, stressed this problem, saying that "if contamination occurs, the college gets charged exorbitant fees." Many people are unaware of the issues with contamination and part of the role of the student task force would be to educate the Trinity community on how to recycle properly.

Unidentified students have heard rumors around campus about bags from recycling containers getting thrown away by janitors. If students don't believe that recycling is actually occurring, they will be less likely to make the effort to recycle. Barber believes that the recycling force will "give people faith that items they want recycled will actually be recycled." He believes that having a human face behind recycling may improve credibility.

Students, recognizing that they have an obligation to be more responsible for their recycling behavior, seem to be behind this proposal. "Looking at what's happening with the environment, recycling is a really important issue," said Driscoll.

The Task Force is still in its early stages, but it could prove to be a crucial step in making Trinity more environmentally-friendly. Barber believes, "There will always be people who won't give 100 percent. Therefore, there will always be the need for students to enforce and sort recycling. The hope is that over time that the students not recycling will become less and less." If the Task Force is successful, it will open the window for more steps to be taken to improve recycling on campus.

For more news from the SGA, please visit their Web site.

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