Passionate students push Emerson's recycling program
Ashley Daley
10/24/05
Recycling is as common as taking out the trash in almost every American household. Emerson College is no exception and has been recycling for years. Although the majority of the recycling efforts were previously headed by Emerson's facilities department, student organizations such as Earth Emerson, have since been established to help promote environmental awareness and push for further student action.
"When I arrived at the college in March of 1997, there was a recycling plan in place. Since then, with the help of Earth Emerson and Property Management, we've been able to expand the program to include such items as computers, ballasts, bottles, cans and furniture," Neal Lespasio, director of Facilities Management, said.
According to facilities, in 2004 Emerson recycled approximately 27 tons of material including mixed paper, furniture, electronics, lighting etc., .
However, the journey hasn't been that easy for this college in the city. "The lack of space was a central issue in preventing a full scale recycling program," said senior theater major Rachel Dutcher, president of Earth Emerson. Other concerns, she said, "included rodents and cleanliness concerns and past student abuse."
"Cans and bottles piled up, they weren't washed out, rodents and insects became a housing and health issue, and students weren't using the system properly. That's why it is extremely important that students are aware of, and correctly use the new recycling center," Dutcher said.
The recycling center, located in the basement of the Little Building, is a machine that excepts clean and rinsed out plastic and aluminum bottles. Directly behind it is a place to put glass containers and anything else rejected by the machine.
Earth Emerson has also set up recycling areas around campus buildings where classes are conducted. Jonathan Satriale, member of Earth Emerson and Journalism's Technology manager, for example, set up an area on the 6th floor of the Walker building, room 604D in the kitchen. "It consists of some blue bins for cans and bottles. Currently I monitor the level of recyclables and when they fill up, I walk them over to the basement of the little building," Satriale said.
"Everyone should reduce the waste they create. Everyone should reuse articles that can be reused. We have finite resources, and reducing, reusing and recycling are some very practical ways that will allow these resources to last longer," Dutcher said.
"Basically, we all share one earth, and it is everyone's responsibility to take care of it," she said.
Recycling is as common as taking out the trash in almost every American household. Emerson College is no exception and has been recycling for years. Although the majority of the recycling efforts were previously headed by Emerson's facilities department, student organizations such as Earth Emerson, have since been established to help promote environmental awareness and push for further student action.
"When I arrived at the college in March of 1997, there was a recycling plan in place. Since then, with the help of Earth Emerson and Property Management, we've been able to expand the program to include such items as computers, ballasts, bottles, cans and furniture," Neal Lespasio, director of Facilities Management, said.
According to facilities, in 2004 Emerson recycled approximately 27 tons of material including mixed paper, furniture, electronics, lighting etc., .
However, the journey hasn't been that easy for this college in the city. "The lack of space was a central issue in preventing a full scale recycling program," said senior theater major Rachel Dutcher, president of Earth Emerson. Other concerns, she said, "included rodents and cleanliness concerns and past student abuse."
"Cans and bottles piled up, they weren't washed out, rodents and insects became a housing and health issue, and students weren't using the system properly. That's why it is extremely important that students are aware of, and correctly use the new recycling center," Dutcher said.
 The Little Building recycling machine, (Above), allows student to recycle bottles and cans by depositing them in through the center. |
Earth Emerson has also set up recycling areas around campus buildings where classes are conducted. Jonathan Satriale, member of Earth Emerson and Journalism's Technology manager, for example, set up an area on the 6th floor of the Walker building, room 604D in the kitchen. "It consists of some blue bins for cans and bottles. Currently I monitor the level of recyclables and when they fill up, I walk them over to the basement of the little building," Satriale said.
"Everyone should reduce the waste they create. Everyone should reuse articles that can be reused. We have finite resources, and reducing, reusing and recycling are some very practical ways that will allow these resources to last longer," Dutcher said.
"Basically, we all share one earth, and it is everyone's responsibility to take care of it," she said.