Earth Week is coming up, and environmental issues are taking center stage. This year at Stevens, the ESW (Engineers for a Sustainable World) is launching a recycling initiative. This is thanks to ESW President David D’Agostino as well as members Liz Morris and Austen Thien. The importance of recycling cannot be stressed enough. The ESW urges every student to participate and recycle whenever possible. Even if it may be inconvenient and it takes a little extra time to recycle, it still goes a long way to make a difference.
On behalf of the Stute, I had an interview with Liz Morris to learn about the motivation for this progressive plan. The main reason is to dispel once and for all the rumor that all trash and recycling goes to the same place. According to the ESW, students unfortunately do not recycle as a result of this rumor. Actually, recycling and trash go to separate places. Also, it does matter that trash and recycling are disposed of in separate bins. The school is actually fined if there is trash in the recycling bin. All of the recycling gets wasted as well, because the trash contaminates the recycling. Likewise, if recyclable items get thrown in the trash, it cannot be recycled and so it gets wasted.
The other main goal is to get more students to recycle more often. While there are recycling bins scattered throughout campus, they do not appear as often as trashcans. This is especially the case in classrooms and Pierce. By putting more recycling bins around campus and making them more readily available to students, the ESW hopes that students make the correct decision to recycle. This goal will also be accomplished through media to spread the word. Besides this Stute report, there will posters, flyers, and WCPR notifications urging each and every one of us to recycle.
Depending on the success of this initiative, the ESW may further its plan and recycle batteries in the future. This can also go far to make a positive impact on the environment. Therefore, if fellow students want to see battery recycling come to fruition, it can only begin by recycling more often.
Of all the opinion and article pieces I have contributed to the Stute, I feel this is the most important work I have written thus far. I am not an ESW member currently, but those who read the Jitsky Post know I advocate environmentalism. Everyone should take recycling seriously and take an extra few seconds to do the right thing when possible. This recycling initiative that the ESW launched puts Stevens on a step in the right direction. I hope very much that this initiative succeeds.
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