In the spring of 2007, the Syracuse University Recycling Committee was formed. It is a subcommittee of the University Sustainability Action Coalition. A number of us from the Recycling Committee went to the Ley Creek Dumping Station to meet with Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency officers to check out a truck load of trash coming from the University. Being new to recycling, I wanted to find out how the University was doing. I found that we have a lot of educating to do on campus.
In May I attended Mayfest with USAC members and held a recycling quiz for everyone that came by our booth, including the Chancellor. In June we had a booth at the Strawberry Festival and handed out new recycling information and let people know they could contact me with any questions. Since June, I’ve attended the Residence Advisor’s orientation, Teachers Assistants’ orientation, Taking Care of Business - Orientation, and Staff Appreciation Day on the Quad. I have had meetings with all the day and evening custodians, approximately 100 in total. Some great ideas have come from these meetings. Their supervisors and I met in the last few days to update them on where we see the program going in the future.
We have a “Orange Goes Green” theme that has been initiated by USAC and we have been handing out literature, buttons, and post it notes to get the word out.
Our next step is performing an audit of the buildings on campus to see if we have enough recycling containers, OCRRA is helping with that, it will begin in October 2007.
We are looking at the possibility of having competitions between buildings on who recycles better during a certain period of time.
Our next event is Campus Sustainability Day, Wednesday,October 24, 2007. We will be having presentations by nationally known environmental speakers in the Schine Room 228 as well as Sustainable Organizations in the Schine Atrium. We are going to have a water taste test to show that our local water is just as good if not better than the bottled brands. There will also be all different kinds of hybrid vehicles on the Quad.
Respectively,
Tina Julian |
