Billy Achnitz
Over the course of my time attending LIU Post, I have constantly heard people say that we don’t recycle on campus. This common misconception is usually said because LIU Post does not have a recycling bin next to every single garbage can around campus. Don’t get me wrong, I know that there are many schools that have recycling bins everywhere you turn, but the fact of the matter is that recycling receptacles are very expensive. To purchase a recycling bin for every garbage can that’s on campus would represent an incredible investment. Not to mention, there must be a person that maintains these recycling bins to make sure that garbage is separated from the recyclables. One would be surprised of how much garbage actually gets thrown into the recycling bins. So, there is an added labor cost in addition to the initial investment.
But, LIU Post does recycle and has been recycling for quite some time. The LIU Post Recycling Program actually started when students from the Southampton campus came to this campus back in 2006. Back then, students, who were members of PEACE (Protecting Every Aspect Concerning the Environment), volunteered their time to sort and clean all of recyclables in the recycling bins. At first, these students were only successful in getting recycling bins in the Quad buildings. As time went on though, the Recycling Program continued growing in addition to expanding to new areas on campus.
Presently, there are recycling bins in the lobby of each residence hall, in addition to, the Interfaith Center, Hillwood Commons, the Pratt Recreation Center, and the Lodges. One of the locations that people have always said needs a recycling bin is Humanities Hall. Well guess what? There’s a brand new recycling receptacle located on the first floor of Humanities Hall right outside of the lecture hall. This recycling receptacle is similar to the ones that can be found inside Hillwood Commons and the Pratt. It has 3 different holes for the different materials that you can recycle: plastic, paper, and cans.
Plastic pretty much encompasses every plastic that has the numbers 1-7 on it. Anything from water bottles to plastic bags may be recyclable. Just look for the recycling symbol with the number in the middle of it. Cardboard and paperboard may also be placed in the paper section. This also encompasses newspapers, loose-leaf paper, and envelopes. Please do not throw napkins or paper towels in the paper slot. This would be considered trash and is not recyclable. Also, all staples, paper clips, and tape must be removed from any paper that is recycled. Lastly, cans are simply either aluminum or tin cans.
Consideration is key when throwing away recyclables. For example, if a salad is in a plastic container, do not throw the container in the recycling bin without washing out the salad and dressing residue. The people that maintain these recycling bins are students and do not work every single day. It is unpleasant to come to work and be greeted with the rancid odor of an old salad that’s been sitting around for 2 to 3 days. So, please always be green, but make sure that you are not mean.
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