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Make a difference locally

Thomasina Johnson

Why doesn't Miami University see more green? Everyday, the on-campus garbage bins overflow with water bottles, beer cans and pizza boxes as a tribute to the lack of outdoor campus recycling bins.


On Miami's Associated Student Government's (ASG) suggestion Web site, many students voted to see more outdoor recycling options available. While walking around campus, students must decide to either throw away their water bottle, or keep it in their backpack and recycle it in an academic building or residence hall. Students may wonder why Miami can't move into the 21st century and put more outdoor recycling bins outside of King Library, Shriver Center or the Farmer School of Business. Why not make everyone's lives a little bit easier and encourage environmental awareness at the same time by putting more recycling bins outside?


This seemingly simple solution is more complicated than just placing bins outside.
There are several logical reasons why Miami doesn't put more recycling bins outside, most of them relating to lack of funding. Putting more recycling bins outside would mean more work for buildings and grounds employees, resulting in the creation of more positions Miami can't afford to pay. The bins themselves are also quite expensive. Have you seen the white collapsible bins in uptown park? According to http://www.theparkcatalog.com, an outdoor supply store, a supply of those small, dinky containers can cost $310. More durable recycling bins that may grace Miami's campus can cost up to a whopping $2,070. Multiply this number by all of the high-traffic areas around campus that need outdoor recycling bins, and Miami's budget is in deep trouble.


Off-campus recycling has also been a confusing issue. If your house or apartment does not have recycling, the best place to bring your recyclables is to the Ditmer parking lot. Ditmer recycling is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Taking time out of your busy life to drive to Ditmer with your stinky recyclables may seem like a drag, but every little bit counts.
Why are only certain numbers recyclable and others aren't? The answer again, trickles down to economics. All plastics can be recycled, but whether the facilities and processing resources exist are another question. Each recycling symbol at the bottom of containers identifies the type of resin used in the manufacture of the plastic. Miami, like most of the country, only recycles numbers one and two. According to the NYC WasteLe$$ Web site, 90 percent of all plastic bottles and jugs are made of #1 PETE and #2 HDPE, two plastics that sell easily.


According to a June 2, 2007 article in The Seattle Times, the "reasons for low national plastics recycling rates include the complexity of sorting and processing, unfavorable economics and consumer confusion about which plastics can be recycled." Container lids cannot be recycled, but plastic bags can … most of the time. The rules of recycling change depending on your location. The best bet is to be a conscientious consumer and pay attention to the local recycling policy.


The Miami community can do their part to reduce on-campus waste by supporting the recycling system we have. Sure, it's not as good as what other schools or areas of the country might have, but it's better than letting all of our plastic grace Mount Rumpke. The sluggish economy doesn't help to boost recycling programs, but there still is hope. By making recycling a habit, we can all help make Miami see green, without spending more green.