RE: [GreenYes] recycling in pittsburgh

["Smith, Kathryn" <KSmith@presidiotrust.gov>]

Hi Abby,
First of all, I want to commend you on your awareness and advocacy, and your
willingness to step up and work for change.  I also went to a college where
the recycling situation was abysmal, so I feel your pain!   I am sure that
there are others on your campus who are distraught as you are--maybe you
already know some of them.  I would suggest finding other like-minded
students who are interested in helping change the system.  If there is a
place in the school's daily paper where students can place ads or submit
articles, or if there is a way to send an e-mail to all students, you could
get the word out that you're interested in starting a recycling advocacy
group.  I think that finding others who share your concern is an important
first step--it will make you feel less frustrated to know that others care
too, and it will send a stronger message to the U Pitt community.  I would
also try to seek out faculty or staff who will support your endeavor.  They
will be able to direct you through the right channels as far as the
university administration is concerned.

I'm sure there is someone on this listserv with knowledge on how to start a
program--maybe even specific to starting recycling programs on college
campuses or at similar institutions.  Or if someone has examples of schools
with really great programs, maybe they could provide some contacts.

Good luck!
Kat

-----Original Message-----
From: abby [mailto:aes3+@pitt.edu]
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 3:05 PM
To: greenyes@grrn.org; pittaes13@aol.com
Subject: [GreenYes] recycling in pittsburgh


Hello I am a student at the University of Pittsburgh and have a concern 
about recycling here.  As an advocate of environmental awareness, I have 
been very displeased by the fact that our residence halls do not have 
recyling bins in our rooms or on our floors.  The only recyling bins are on 
the ground floor, and are very small.  Personally, I go there stacks of 
recyclable paper a day, including: newspapers, printed papers, and other 
worksheets distributed in class.  I live with 8 other girls and know for a 
fact that they go through very similar amounts of paper a day too.  We do 
not have recyclable garbage cans in our rooms to throw the paper away in. 
Instead, thousands of sheets of recylable paper is wasted by being thrown 
into the "regular" garbage cans.  The university's way of making up for 
this is by putting small recycling bins on the ground floor.  Now there are 
10 floors in my building and I can assure you that nobody races down ten 
flights of stairs to take the time to throw away some paper in a recylcing 
bin.  This upsets me.  There are hundreds of students that live in my 
building, and over 20,000 students that attend my school.  The exact number 
of students that live in dorms is unknown to me.  However, multiply say 10 
sheets of paper a day for only 10,000 of the total students (living in 
dorms), and you get 100,000 sheets of paper that are not being recycled in 
dorm rooms!!  in only one college day!. This number is incredible.  As each 
day passes more and more unrecycled paper is being thrown to waste.  Our 
university also provides us with a daily newspaper called the "Pitt News." 
There are stacks of these papers all over campus.  When students grab a 
paper on the way to their dorm room to read it, the paper is never 
recylcled.

I need somebody's help.  I dont even know where to start or who to 
approach?  But what I do know is that our campus is being wasteful and 
unresourceful.  It is the year 2002, and there is no excuse to this.  The 
truth must be known, and we must be provided with a recyclable garbage can 
in our rooms.

Please! does anyone know what I should do next?

Thank you, Abby
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