Last week, something new and notable could be found in different locations around campus. You may have seen it as you headed to Harris for dinner, or perhaps you spotted it on Harkness Patio as you crossed Tempel Green: the large, blue billboard that asks “What does blue mean to you?”
As part of the Office of Sustainability’s “Blue Campaign,” the billboard aims to draw attention to a prevalent question on campus: What exactly can go into those blue bins? The uncertainty surrounding this question becomes evident with a visit to any given dorm bathroom, where trash and recyclables often end up intermingled. This campaign seeks to end this confusion and create a more sustainable campus with a smaller waste footprint.
The benefits of recycling reach beyond the well-known environmental ones. “There is less need to mine for new materials, and products made from recycled material require less energy to make,” explained Josh Stoffel, Manager of the Office of Sustainability. “Recycling saves the College money and reduces the amount of air and water pollution caused from sending waste to a landfill or incinerator. Remember, waste generated at the College is sent only about 20 miles north to an incinerator. Though these sort of facilities have technologies that scrub the exhaust generated from burning waste, those technologies do not remove 100% of the pollutants being released.”
Through this campaign, the Office hopes to increase the College’s recycling rate by 5-10% from our current recycling rate, which fluctuates between 25-31%. While it costs the College $80 to dispose of one ton of trash, it only costs $5 to recycle one ton of recyclables. Simple math reveals an opportunity for our College community to save a significant amount of money each year. SGA has been a key supporter in the efforts towards a waste system that relies more heavily on recycling. “One of SGA’s ongoing initiatives is to help our community become more sustainable, which is why we are fully supporting the Blue Campaign,” said Evert Fowle’14, President of SGA. “In the spring of last year, SGA allocated money from the Student Sustainability Fund to create a uniform bin system on campus. We saw the project as both being great for the environment, by helping to increase our recycling rate on campus, and economically sustainable, as the program will eventually pay for itself. To me it just made sense.”
Connecticut College has always been a progressive institution, and has been a model to other colleges across the country in its emphasis on the student experience, manifested in the importance of the Honor Code and the SGA. Environmental stewardship is another area in which the College stands out and has the potential for development. Part of this success depends on each individual Connecticut College community member—as it should. The purpose of the Blue Campaign is to bring specific meaning to the question “what does blue mean to you?” It is a question that you should think about every time you’re about to toss that empty water bottle into the trash. As a member of the College community, it is in your interest to do your part for the betterment of this campus; an educated student body that takes action to reduce the economic and environmental burdens of waste will lead to a more sustainable community. •
