THE ISSUE: Ecopledge pairs with Dining Services to conserve WHAT WE THINK: Great first step toward a greener campus
When students picture Boston College, they think maroon and gold - not necessarily green. This week, however, this has started to change. McElroy Dining and Ecopledge kicked off the semester by introducing McElroy's new recycling effort - an effort that makes recycling easy and practically unavoidable for students. In doing so, McElroy Dining and Ecopledge are taking a huge step forward in "going green" and turning BC into an environmentally friendly institution.
A banner reading "A New Year, A New McElroy Dining: Reduce, Re-use, Recycle" hangs over a wide array of neatly sorted receptacles near each of the two exits in Carney's Dining Hall. It's inescapable. Students are presented with designated areas to place their bottles and cans, yogurt and cereal cups, and plastic containers, in addition to the trash cans that are already there.
Merril Putnam, A&S '08, is the Ecopledge member who coordinated the new program with the McElroy Dining managers. She said she hopes this effort will permanently change students' recycling habits.
"This isn't an option, this is the new way," Putnam said.
The new recycling effort began on Tuesday. Putnam and other members of Ecopledge have been standing by the receptacles to make sure people properly follow the new procedure. "90 percent of the people are really receptive," Putnam said.
McElroy Dining and Ecopledge should be applauded for their efforts. By creating such an arrangement, McElroy Dining and Ecopledge are making it that much easier to recycle. The organization and convenience all but guarantee that students will take the time to separate their recyclables - a task that, though seemingly effortless, was previously neglected.
This system also helps those students who may otherwise be less inclined to recycle because they view it as a burden or an inconvenience. It brings recycling and conservation to the forefront of one's dining experience. Still, as with every great idea, there is always room for improvement.
One cannot ignore the great amount of waste that results from students' constant use of the plastic "to-go" containers. One solution, of course, would be for students to make a conscious effort to start using the reuseable china and silverware at every opportunity. This, however, might not be a realistic solution, since habits are hard to break and not everyone feels the need to conserve. For this reason, BC Dining might seriously consider initiating a minimal surcharge for use of plastic containers. A small charge will considerably lower the use of plastic containers and silverware, thus reducing wasteful behavior.
As today's youth, we stand to benefit the most from environmental consciousness. Yet, for whatever reason (laziness seems to be most to blame), students seem incapable of turning off the television, printing double-sided, or recycling their dinner trash. In order to make BC a respected environmentally friendly institution, individuals must take the responsibility to change their environmental footprint. Let's be honest, if every human operated like a BC student, there would be an awful lot of waste in the world.
The new McElroy recycling effort is a great start because it removes all of the excuses from the equation and forces people to take the extra time to separate their recyclables. But this should only be the beginning.
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