The Tripod

Trinity College will soon have new recycling bins for all buildings on campus, and a new task force consisting of six students will be on hand to monitor them. This Recycling Task Force (RTF) was formed in response to concerns about the level of recycling among Trinity students, and it is supported by Green Campus, the Student Government Association (SGA), the Department of Facilities, the President's Office, and the Office of Community Service and Civil Engagement. The RTF hopes to increase recycling among all members of the Trinity community.

Anne Bonfiglio '10 of Green Campus says that this idea "originated from past chairs of the organization." While not all RTF representatives are part of Green Campus, Bonfiglio has high hopes for the program. "I think that the recycling task force will play a major part in improving campus wide recycling," she said. "Thanks to facilities we have already been able to procure enough new recycling bins so that there should always be an opportunity to recycle."

"It may seem like this is a problem that a college community would not face," said Emily Quinton '11, a member of the RTF. "But one look into a few trash cans on any given day will demonstrate that Trinity does not recycle well."

The RTF hopes to use its visibility to educate the community about recycling through posters, brochures, and e-mails. RTF members are also making weekly rounds through their assigned areas on campus to make sure that students are utilizing the recycling bins. Each member is responsible for a different area of campus, and within that area they "monitor that the recycling bins are not being contaminated, and that everything in the trash bins are, in fact, trash," said Krystal Ramirez '10, another RTF representative. She says that this means members of the RTF will be digging through trash cans to make sure that there are no recyclables being thrown out.

"If Trinity hopes to reduce its environmental impact and better conserve its resources, recycling is the most obvious and easiest approach," said Quinton. "I think it's an overall goal of the program for students to become more conscious of their recycling habits, so if students began to really pay attention to whether or not they are recycling it would be a help to the program, and recycling at Trinity as a whole."

"We hope that not only will there be a recycling bin next to every trash bin so that the excuse is never, 'Oh, but recycling is so inconvenient,'" said Ramirez. "We also want to publicize the many things that are being recycled and the progress Trinity is making to become a greener, more environmentally-friendly place."

The six members of the RTF include Elisabeth Cianciola '10, Steve Sobolewski '10, Theresa Meehan '11, Guiliani Lopez '11, Ramirez, and Quinton. The advisors are Director of Community Service and Civic Engagement Joe Barber and Manager of Environmental Health and Safety and Sustainability Coordinator Karen Misbach.

[Editor's Note: Krystal Ramirez is a member of the Tripod Staff.]

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