Amidst the madness of the end-of-semester crunch, the facilities Team Green already has much to look forward to in the spring semester. Although we (along with the rest of campus) are excited for some good cheer over winter break, Team Green can’t wait to kick off ten weeks chock-full of Recyclemania upon our return! Starting January 20th all the way til March 30th, campus will be bumpin’ with all kinds of eco-information, events, games, contests, advice, films, discussions, panels, signage, green-energy-powered-hot-chocolate, and a generally exciting atmosphere. Plus, we’ve got lots of friends helping us out too! With the efforts of recycling coordinator Amy Kadrie, facilities Team Green, Grassroots, EcoReps, MicroFarm, Engineers for a Sustainable World, College Democrats, UR Biodiesel, dining Team Green, Global Water Brigades, GreenSpace, and a few daring individuals, we have a lot of stuff in store. But we have openings, too. If any other green groups on campus would like to participate in an event, please contact us!
The idea of Recyclemania comes from friendly intercollegiate competition to see which schools can divert the largest percentages of their waste from landfills. That is, by sending plastics, paper, cardboard, metal, glass, tinfoil, and all kinds of materials–appropriately separated, of course–to recycling facilities. By the end of ten weeks, each school’s results are tallied, and winners are prized in different categories. Considering the smaller size of our university, we’ve done quite well in the past, but we’re looking to improve–Meliora! Although there is debate about the numbers on energy consumption that the process of recycling uses, recycling reduces the use of natural resources–which become ever more precious as the world continues to use them up–and saves space in landfills for things that absolutely cannot be recycled (like styrofoam: the worst!).
Still, there is so much more to environmentally-conscious thinking than recycling. You’ve probably all hear the three R’s: reduce and reuse come before recycle. That’s why our large consortium of student groups is excited to bring all kinds of themed weeks to the university community, so that there will be many opportunities to learn about different aspects of sustainability. From energy and water conservation, t0 composting and contamination, look out for the many educational and interactive events we’ll be throwing (plus free stuff!).
Get ready to keep up with Recyclemania by liking “UR Sustainable” on Facebook! Til’ then, stay warm!
Written by Kathleen Shannon, Class of 2013
Good site and I am happy that there are people who think about the earth.It”s very important that we must recycling for the people who come next to us.