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Wesleyan needs a recycling program. Period.
Universities often try to stay cutting-edge by constantly improving their faculty, facilities, technology and basically keeping up with the times.
The countless degree changes and various schools seeking accreditation shows us that Wesleyan is no different in its quest to remain current.
Why, then, doesn’t Wesleyan have a recycling program?
The average person throws away about four pounds of trash per day, most of which is paper and product packaging, according to the Bergen County Utilities Authority in New Jersey.
This means Wesleyan students alone throw away about 66,660 pounds of trash in a regular school week.
How much of that trash is sustainable?
Scarier still, the BCUA reports that it takes more than 500,000 trees to produce the newspapers Americans read each Sunday, but only 30 percent of the newspapers get recycled.
The amount of recyclable trash that ends up wasted is staggering, especially because it’s so easy to recycle.
If various recycling receptacles (glass, plastic, aluminum, paper) were placed near high-traffic areas on campus, it would merely take a student’s flick of the wrist to make a huge difference in the school’s sustainable waste output.
The University of North Texas recently voted on charging students $5 at the beginning of the semester to help pay for on-campus improvements pertaining to sustainability, which included a recycling program.
While many students who attend Wesleyan remain fervent in keeping tuition and fees affordable, everyone can swing five bucks.
Various Wesleyan administrators often cite UNT as an institution our university keeps its eye on because both institutions attract similar students.
Isn’t a sustainability program a good way to follow suit?
Other local schools are light-years ahead of us. The University of Texas at Arlington has recycled aluminum cans since 1992. During the 2004-2005 school year, UTA diverted 454 tons of waste from going to the landfill, according to its website.
When it comes to recycling, a little goes an extremely long way. Previous failed student efforts shouldn’t prevent the university from taking matters into its own hands. If a small fee is what it takes, so be it.
Wesleyan needs to make an impact, especially when it’s so easy.
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