Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

Recycling is a priority

To the editor,

I had the pleasure of attending yesterday's Career Week kickoff in the Career Services office. While there, I enjoyed some of the free pizza and soda that was served. When I was done with my aluminum can of soda, I asked the woman behind the Career Services' reception desk where the nearest recycling bin was. She replied "I don't think there's one around here; you can just throw your cans in the garbage." She was quite shocked when I told her that I would do no such thing.

I can't express the incredulity I feel that there are people on this campus who do not believe that recycling is important. How many aluminum cans do you see every day in trash cans around campus? How many "Daily Wildcats" are left under lecture hall seats to be trampled upon by student after student? This planet's natural resources are being used up FAST, and while it is unlikely that we can stop all use of these resources, we can ALL at least do our part and recycle every single can, newspaper, plastic container, or pizza box.

Students living on campus and university employees enjoy one of the best recycling programs available - they can place cans, newspaper, and white paper in any of the plethora of cardboard boxes scattered around campus, or recycle glass and plastic at the union. For those of us who live far from campus, if you're in a house, the City of Tucson's curbside recycling program makes recycling easy and convenient. For apartment dwellers, there are 10 Neighborhood Recycling Centers all around Tucson where ALL of your paper products, glass, PETE 1 and HDPE 2 plastic bottles, and cans can be taken. I usually drop off my recycling on my way to school every Monday morning. This only takes five minutes out of my busy day!

There is no "down side" to doing your part to help our environment. My driving thought: If I don't recycle, who will? Certainly not most of the 40,000+ people on this campus. (My apologies to those of you that do your part. Way to go!) Remember the slogan: If you don't recycle, you're throwing it all away. Take an extra five minutes, bag up your recyclables at home, and be conscious of where you dispose of items while you're on campus.

Kelly LeFevre

Plant sciences graduate student