The Student Association, the Corp and EcoAction are launching new initiatives aimed at improving environmental responsibility on campus.
Their plans include increasing the availability of recycling bins and creating incentives to decrease waste, according to Lauren Goodman (MSB ’10), EcoAction’s treasurer and co-chair of the Student Association’s Environmental Committee.
“With all the new newspapers that are going to be on campus, we’re trying to improve the recycling system,” she said, referring to the Student Association’s plan to provide free newspapers for students.
Goodman said EcoAction, the Student Association, and the Corp had been working with Bill Del Vecchio, the University’s new recycling director, to improve recycling. They planned to increase the number of recycling bins on campus, including putting them by trash cans that don’t have recycling bins.
“Those tended to be filled with recyclables,” EcoAction president Tripti Bhattacharya (SFS ’10) said.
Goodman said EcoAction would also be selling personal recycling bins to students.
EcoAction has been aided in its campaign for better recycling by the Student Association.
“Obviously these issues are important to a lot of Georgetown students and GUSA’s going to respond to that,” the Student Association President Ben Shaw (COL ’08) said. “One of our main goals is to implement a more effective recycling program.”
Box designs will also improve, Student Association Vice President Matt Appenfeller (COL ’08) said.
“There are more recycling bins coming in January,” Appenfeller said.
Goodman said campus recycling has historically been less than stellar.
“We’ve been having problems with people who are taking recycling bins and putting them in their personal dorms,” she said. She also cited cleaning staff errors as a reason for decreased recycling.
Corp CEO Ted Riley (COL ’08) said the Corp is working with the other groups on several environmental initiatives.
“We decided to take the next step and not just talk about it, but see what we can do to be more environmentally conscious,” he said.
The Corp plans to offer discounts to students who reuse cups or bags in Corp stores and cafes, Riley said.
-Additional reporting by Kate Mays
