Student groups push to increase ease of recycling

Student groups are uniting to expand the University's limited recycling programs, and they hope that their combined efforts will force administrators to pay attention.

But as student groups ranging from the Undergraduate Assembly to the Green Campus Partnership seek alternatives to current recycling facilities, the administration is hesitant to offer its support.

Earlier this month, the UA passed a proposal urging the University to make recycling more efficient, the latest in a series of measures begun in April 2004. Student organizations contend that Penn's campus does not have enough recycling drop-points. Recycling boxes that do exist often stand alone -- leaving them vulnerable to contamination by non-recyclable goods.

Although the UA has been discussing the issue for over a year, they are still waiting for a response from University administrators.

Penn Urban Park Manager Kris Kealey did not return phone calls for comment about her work with student groups.

"I don't know if we can save the earth, but we can definitely recycle more around Penn," College sophomore and UA member Sarah Abroms said.

Recycling has come to the forefront of various groups' agendas due to perceived flaws in the current system.

"Compared to three or four years ago, it's on people's minds a lot more now," said UA Facilities Committee member and College senior Jon Zatz.

The Green Campus Partnership -- a student group that seeks to make the University more environment-friendly -- plans to conduct a survey of recycling facilities in the next few months.

According to Green Campus Director and College sophomore Bonnie Waring, group volunteers will evaluate the effectiveness of recycling facilities in every building on campus, looking for an adequate number and effective placement of trash and recycling bins.

By the end of the school year, the group plans to complete its survey and present a proposal to the UA and Facilities and Real Estate Services regarding ways to improve recycling.

The UA also aims to work alongside college house deans to revamp dormitory recycling facilities. Abroms said that the UA plans to create visual codes to help students distinguish between recycling and trash bins.

Abroms said that on-campus trash and recycling receptacles are poorly placed. In many areas, there are no recycling bins near trash bins, causing students to throw away recyclable goods. Students also often contaminate lone recycling bins with garbage.

"There are so many places where there is no recycling or it's all contaminated," Abroms said.

Zatz said that Facilities officials declined to provide cans for off-campus recycling until hard data indicated that students are committed to a recycling program.

Recycling initiatives at registered fraternity parties over the past month have revealed that some students are interested.

Sigma Alpha Mu and Pi Kappa Phi have been the first fraternities to recycle bottles after recent registered parties.

SAM President and Wharton junior Rick Fox said that his fraternity worked with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs to organize a one-time recycling arrangement after a party earlier this month.

"It was not hard to do at all. All we had to do was buy bags and talk to OFSA. They were very helpful," Fox said. "We are extremely for recycling, and we would love to have a policy where we can have recycling bins instead of throwing all [of our bottles and cans] in the trash."

He added that since the party only served food and drinks in glass or plastic bottles, there was little contamination of recycled goods.

"This has been a goal of mine for three years, to have fraternities recycle after parties," Zatz said. "I really hope we continue to see more of this."

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