Student group keeps recyclables out of the landfill

  Friday, September 9, 2016 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

All those cardboard boxes filled with clothes, little refrigerators, microwaves and other necessities that PSU students hauled into their residence halls a few weeks ago had to go somewhere, but a Pitt State student group made sure it wasn’t in the landfill.

PSU’s Students 4 Sustainability (S4S) collected, transported, and diverted more than 3,000 pounds of cardboard and for the first time, aluminum, mixed paper, and plastics from PSU’s dumpsters on Move-In Day for recycling.

Stephen Wolfe, a senior in integrated studies with an emphasis in sustainability, society and resource management (SSRM) said the group’s recycling efforts were valuable for a number of reasons.

“Not only do we save a few thousand pounds of cardboard from the landfill,” Wolfe said, “we are also able to speak to a multitude of new students about the benefits behind living a sustainable lifestyle.”

In the past three years S4S has salvaged nearly 10,000 pounds of cardboard, mixed paper and more recently aluminum and plastic from making its way into area landfills.

“A lot of these kids didn't grow up with Captain Planet, and therefore do not understand the true importance of the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, or the consequences of not being environmentally conscious,” said Kat Bailey, S4S vice-president. “People are always astounded by what we collect in a single day.”

The S4S volunteers said their work and contributions on Move-In Day reflect positively on the campus and community.

“Move-In Day sets the tone early for incoming freshman that Pitt State is trying to be progressive and environmentally conscious,” said Derrick Decker, a senior in integrated studies with an emphasis in sustainability, society and resource management. “It plants the seed that this is more than just a school and parties, people are here really trying to make a difference.”

The 14-member S4S volunteer crew included PSU students, high school students from USD 362, and PSU faculty. The 2016 group was the largest volunteer team gathered for a Move-In Day event to date.

“People say one person’s actions can’t really change anything, but when other people see one person making even a small difference they can be more confident in their own choices knowing that they are not just one person - there are a lot of us out there,” said Megan Corrigan, a senior in integrated studies- SSRM.