By Taylor Hamilton and Mary Willis
One-hundred percent of National Student Leadership Conference students at American University this week use the campus recycling bins in some form, according to a survey of more than 70 students.
Over a decade ago, American University adopted a zero-waste policy where students and faculty members could reduce campus waste by sorting trash and recycling into designated bins spread throughout campus. AU also included sorting guides on their website to help people understand which items go into different bins, reducing plastic use on campus.
This week, with more than 500 high school students joining the NSLC program and eating and living on campus, they’ve had the opportunity to use the designated trash and recycling bins.
“I feel like they are attempting to be more eco-friendly than some other campuses that I’ve visited,” Chase Hartman, a student in the Film, Journalism and Media Arts program, said.
The designated bins spread throughout campus shown above feature visual guides of how items should be sorted.
The recycling bins are part of a larger effort by American University to become a carbon-neutral campus. The school achieved that goal within two years by creating the Zero Waste Policy, installing on- and off-site solar panels and planting more than 1 million trees.
“I think it’s really good that [NSLC students] have the opportunity to recycle if they want to, especially when there are options and it’s available for me to recycle,” Ollie Currier, a student in the Film, Journalism and Media Arts program, said. “I definitely try to take advantage.”
A NSLC student throws his water bottle in the recycling bin at the Tavern after lunch. One-hundred percent of the NSLC students surveyed said they have used the bins in some form while on campus this week.
NSLC students on campus were asked to complete a survey about utilizing the zero waste options on campus and how they felt about the project. Of the more than 70 students surveyed, 39.1% said they separated their trash from organic waste and recycled most of the time.
Similarly, 48.6% of students said they felt like they recycled more on campus compared to home due to the opportunities available on campus.
“Being around this Zero Waste Project has almost influenced me to be better about my recycling ways at home,” Chasey Almirol, a student in the Film, Journalism and Media Arts program said. “I don’t recycle at all at home so now falling into this routine within a week of being on campus has influenced me to better my recycling ways.”
Nearly 80% of students said they already recycle at home and believe it’s important to continue recycling practices both on and off campus.
“The environment is oftentimes overlooked and treated as if it’s not a big deal,” Currier said. “I think that’s such a huge misconception that we need to beat and so spreading awareness just by having those different options is so important.”