By Rachel Hanna
The residential dining halls, along with other places on campus, have implemented new signs above waste bins to reflect waste changes.
The waste bin installations are all part of “Waste Not,” LBSU’s campaign to go waste free by 2030.
According to Campus Planning and Sustainability, 14 buildings on campus have Waste Not bins and signage to direct students and faculty to throw compost away properly.
In the dining halls, signage now asks students to place their soiled paper waste in the trash. Before, the signs directed students to put paper napkins with the compost, despite the fact the school no longer composts paper waste. The goal is to keep food waste out of trash receptacles and help with sorting.
“This is our first semester separating food only,” said Manuel Gil, manager of Hillside. “There is more waste now versus last semester, but now it is going to the right place. For sure students are now paying attention to what’s going into the garbage.”
Bins have also been placed in the courtyard and inside the new Student Success Center along with the Isabel Patterson Child Development Center. Installing signage and bins that are easy for young kids to use, according to Campus Planning and Sustainability.
“I think the physical cans in itself has been part of that change,” said Athens Michell, administrative support at Beach Central. “Having these trash cans outside with the labeling has almost been a force so students are more likely to look at the signage and use the cans more accordingly, which I think has been more helpful.”
Michell added that staff was reluctant at first, but found out that the small recycling bins by their desks go a long way.
According to Matt Hill, a transfer student majoring in management information systems, more people at Beachside are taking the time to separate their trash from their food scraps.
“The only downside is the line is longer, but it’s a small price to pay to help make a difference,” Hill said.
Brotman Hall is one of these buildings and according to Campus Planning and Sustainability, over 570 offices are on board with the LBSU Waste Not program. Recycling bins have been provided along with bins explicitly for landfill and recyclables.
According to hillside employees, students are more conscious of recycling this semester after seeing signs above the bins at the wash station. Students used to be a bit more careless, according to Hillside employees, but now have a better knowledge of what to recycle.
