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NEWS
| October 15, 2004
Greek Life
Garbage trashes recycling bins
The Greek Row dumpster is overloading
into the bin leading to a contamination problem.
By C
J Patton and Robert Kleeman
Contributor to The Shorthorn
Some residents of Greek Row misuse the street’s recycle bin,
placing in nonrecyclable waste and contaminating entire loads of
recycling, according to the Environmental Health and Safety Office.
The office, which is responsible for all recycling activity on campus,
was founded under President Robert Witt’s administration and
has been working since to increase environmental awareness across
campus.
All of Greek Row is serviced by one recycling bin and one dumpster
for nonrecyclable trash, and problems have arisen within the past
five months with trash being found in the recycling bin for this
area, Recycling Events Coordinator Becky Valentich said.
She said the dumpster being used by Greek Row residents is inadequate
for the amount of garbage produced.
“The problem is they have that one small dumpster serving
10 or 11 houses,” she said.
The office’s director Craig Powell said he believes that what
is needed is to get additional dumpsters serving the area, in order
to deal with the excess garbage. He believes that many times there
are excess amounts of garbage generated by Greek parties and improper
disposal of old furniture.
“I think what would happen is, when the dumpsters were full,
they’d start using the recycle bin,” Powell said. “They’re
using the bin as their overfill.”
Over the past few months, several loads of recyclables needed to
be trashed, due to contamination by unrecyclable garbage, he said.
Although the situation is not a significant factor in the overall
efficacy of the recycling program, the continued problems with the
bin on Greek Row have caused the office to consider moving the bin
to someplace where it might be more effective, Valentich said.
“We’ve never had one of our large loads rejected because
of contamination,” Powell said. “It doesn’t take
but a few bags of garbage to contaminate one recycling bin.”
Although the bins are marked with what can and cannot be placed
within them, Powell believes that continual recycling education
and awareness coupled with the Greek Row residents making an extra
bit of effort can help solve the problem.
“When you have new students coming on, you have to go out
there and educate them about the recycling program,” he said.
“I think, over time, with education they’ll decide that
this is something they want to be a part of.”
Some members of the Greek community, however, said they had been
unaware of the problem. Business sophomore Nick Janke, a member
of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, said this was the first he had heard
of a problem.
“I have no clue,” he said. “Never heard about
it.”
Jeff Marischen, advertising sophomore and member of the Sigma Chi
fraternity, said his organization uses the dumpsters as they were
intended, but also was unaware of any problem with garbage.
“All I know is that my frat brings trash to the dumpster.
It’s what we pay for,” he said.
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