Today, I wanted to talk about something that we are all familiar with, recycling! Recycling is basis of sustainability; if we can re-use materials, then we can lower the amount of waste being produced. Over time, institutions have created policies to increase recycling of trash. I want to focus on Penn State’s efforts, what they have done and where their efforts fall short.
I’m sure we have all noticed the trash cans that are located all around Penn State’s campus. These divided trash cans are meant to promote recycling of materials; sorting materials makes it easier for them to be taken to the appropriate place and recycled. This is an amazing step towards environmental sustainability! The signs above each of the trash cans are clear and easy to read, increasing the chance that students will place their waste in the correct bins. These steps have encouraged students to create clubs such as the “Penn State Waste Stream Task Force” which promises to “create fiscally, environmentally, and socially responsible goals and principles to guide the University’s procurement, operational, and solid waste management decisions.”
However, there is a major issue. A closer look into these signs and a little bit of research reveals that Penn State does not actually recycle Styrofoam. This is surprising as styrofoam is clearly labeled under one of the trash chutes as recyclable. When I looked into it, I found out that starting in 2012, Penn State no longer recycled polystyrene. They claim that due to “changes in the market, all styrofoam/polystyrene must go to a landfill.” Regardless of if I agree with it or not, economically it makes complete sense; it costs a lot of money to recycle styrofoam and with changes market prices, it may be too disadvantageous to recycle. The real problem is why the signs have not been updated. According to the sustainability website, Penn State “realizes that our signs have yet to reflect this change, and we are working on updating them.” Considering it has been 10 years since the change, I think that this is an unacceptable reason.
I also think that if styrofoam is no longer going to be recycled, that we should not be using it. Styrofoam is being used all over the dining halls and can be easily replaced with better and recyclable materials!
I remember hearing somewhere that the University does not actually recycle anything at all. I do not know how true that rumor is, but I heard that they just throw everything in the specific bins into one giant trash dumpster. I at least know for a fact that PSU does not recycle the aluminum containers that we use in the dining halls. For an agricultural school, you would think we would have better recycle programs. However, I do understand the financial implications of using a recyclable material; if they used one, tuition would rise.