Cassandra Milnes
Connector Contributor
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it,” said Robert Swan, author of August Moon.
UMass Lowell is recognized as one of the top performers for waste reduction efforts on the Sustainable Campus Index, a publication by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The campus has many waste reducing initiatives that can be accredited to the Sustainability Department located on the third floor of University Crossing. The most recent waste reducing initiatives are the move out donation program, resource ambassadors at different recycling locations, recycling of electronics, CSA farm share program and sending Styrofoam to be repurposed.
The move out donation program is run by Shawn Nagle, Senior Resource Ambassador. Large donation bins are placed in each residence hall for any items students want to get rid of, which prevents the need for more items to be purchased in the future. These items can be picked up by students or moved to freecycle stations for the next semester. Freecycle stations can be found in many residence halls and are great options for students to find free, used books, backpacks, or other office supplies.
Emily Wood, Urban Agriculture and Farm Share Coordinator, has been running the CSA program since its pilot run in 2018 and has watched the participants double over the summer of 2019. This program reduces waste by removing the packaging of store-bought fruit and vegetables.
According to Pamela Beckvagni, the Environmental and Sustainability Waste Management Coordinator, the cost of waste removal has decreased as recycling on campus has increased. However, this could change if students continue to recycle irresponsibly. Most students are not aware that recycling can be contaminated, and therefore, rejected. This means that if a cup full of ice cubes is dumped into the recycling, the entire bin will be rejected and sent to a landfill. This can be improved with a little extra effort from students and faculty alike. This is possible as most feedback for the waste reduction initiatives has been positive, meaning people care, which is the first step to improvement.
“Reduce how much you consume in the first place,” said Nagle, hen asked for advice to reduce waste. This means to use reusable water bottles, utensils, and straws. Bamboo utensils can last one’s entire life and add time to the planet’s life by reducing plastic going to landfills.
“Check what is recyclable,” said Pamela Beckvagni. One major example is that UMass Lowell is a Starbucks campus, but not every part of a Starbucks cup is recyclable. The cup itself is recyclable, but the lid, straw, and liquid inside should all go in the trash.
“Donate your used items instead of throwing them away,” said Marie Lanzilotta, Senior Data Auditor for the program. Students can donate used items during the move-out program or to local thrift stores, such as Savers or Goodwill. This will reduce the amount of waste being thrown out and the amount of water being wasted to make more of these items, such as clothes.