Time to celebrate! The success of St. Edward’s single-stream recycling switch has showed a whopping 23% increase in collection of recyclables since September 2011! Recycling is worth celebrating because it is a critical way we can reduce waste while increasing our sustainability. Before the switch, we saw less recycling on campus because it was cumbersome to sort recyclables into different bins. Single-stream recycling makes recycling easier by allowing all paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and metal (as long as they are free of food waste) to be tossed into any of the numerous single-stream recycling bins around campus. As more people find it easier to recycle, they may also become more aware of other sustainable activities and may be encouraged to implement the ‘creed of sustainability’ into their personal lives. The addition of a third dumpster for cardboard boxes that Bon Appétit, Jo’s Coffee Shop and the university uses is another contributor to the increase we’ve seen. These small changes are just a couple ways that St. Edward’s University shows its commitment to becoming more eco-friendly, and remember that eco-friendly really means YOU-friendly since we are all part of the environment. Happy recycling, St. Edward’s University!
Think before you toss:
- Place items with food waste in trash cans only.
- DO NOT put trash in the recycling bins. Once the recycling bin contains any trash, it can no longer be recycled.
- Take your empty printer or copier cartridges to the Copy Center for free recycling.
Travis Daigle ’14 Graphic Design major authored the blog.