Editorial
Recycling: It’s Everyone’s
Responsibility
Let’s Restore the Will
(May 2, 2007)
A recent Lasso Online investigation and poll revealed
an ongoing reality that everyone at school is, in one way or another,
aware of – recycling at George Mason has its serious limitations. Not
to say that all efforts to preserve our planet are ignored by students
and faculty alike. Newspapers fill the hallways’ blue plastic bins
and empty bottles pile up in their designated containers. Nonetheless,
too much of the school’s potentially recyclable waste does not find
its way to recycling centers, despite the fact that we very well have
the resources to make sure it does.
Considering the feats
many our school’s committed
organizations have pulled off and the social consciousness of the George
Mason population, reestablishing and ensuring an effective recycling
program would not be an arduous task. Thus, after our own observations
as well as input from the head of the custodial staff, Mr. Eduardo
Molina, we suggest the following steps for improvement:
- All
of the building’s classrooms and offices should be supplied with
each of the three types of bins – one for mixed paper, one
for cans and bottles, and one for trash. Each container should
be clearly
labeled.
- Each
type of waste bin should be placed in the same location, enticing
people to make an educated choice, instead of simply disposing their
waste in the closest container.
- All
mixed paper bins should be covered by a lid with a small, rectangular
opening, (which several bins currently have) to help ensure that
only paper finds its way into its designated container.
- Interested
school organizations such as the SCA and the Environmental
Club, working in conjunction with the administration, should
take advantage
of the beginning of the new school year next fall to refocus
attention on everyone’s responsibility for recycling. Perhaps
a fun and informative assembly could get this new focus under
way.
- As
has been done in past years, TA time could be utilized to re-inform
students and faculty about recycling and its importance as a follow-up
to the assembly.
The importance of commitment of the entire school community, however, comes down to this: merely placing
a single piece of trash in a mixed paper bin can cause all contents of the bin to end up in the
trash. This is a case in which it really is true that one bad apple
ruins the bunch. It is time for everyone to recommit to recycling.
Perhaps a lone piece of paper thrown into the trash makes no difference,
but a lone piece of paper from each member of the school equates to
nearly 1,000 pieces of paper, which, according to a study by a biology
class equates to an eighth of an average tree. As part of a larger
community, we have the numbers and the resources to make a positive
impact, now let’s restore the will.
