Rice should be more environmentally conscious

By Tierra Moore     11/18/13 6:00pm

Today, recycling at Rice University is either hit or miss. Even with Houston's single-stream recycling system, a college-oriented Eco-Rep Program and a designated campus sustainability director, we are still missing an important mark in campus sustainability - outdoor recycling. With merely two outdoor recycling bins on the entire campus, students more often than not will simply throw away their recyclable waste as they move between classes. Environmentally minded students begrudge this fact, going as far as saying Rice is not as eco-friendly as its peer institutions. This is a fair sentiment, considering that our neighbors at the University of Houston have 250 outdoor recycling bins. This lack of infrastructure is not only a lost opportunity to recycle, but also a lost opportunity to instill a sustainable campus culture in the student body.

But I am happy to say we are taking strides toward greener pastures. Under the insistence of University Representative Y. Ping Sun, Rice has allocated a $50,000 grant to install approximately 30 outdoor recycling bins on campus. In his campus sustainability course, Director of the Administrative Center for Energy and Sustainability Richard Johnson has assigned a team with the task of mapping out where these bins will go. This project is a tremendous step for campus sustainability. It means that someday soon, students will be able to recycle their empty water bottles as they trek from West Lot to their rooms. Tossing recyclables in the trash can be a thing of the past provided that the recycle bins are used properly.

Although paper, cardboard, aluminum, glass and all plastics (with the exception of No. 6) can be disposed of in the same recycling bin, many existing bins are confusingly labeled as "Paper," "Aluminum" or "Plastic." Students are also uncertain of what is recyclable and what is not. Rather than ruminate over whether their paper plate can be recycled (it can), students will just throw it away and move on. This confusion contributes to our overall recycling rate - a paltry 25 percent, according to Johnson.

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Furthermore, Housing and Dining staff remark that the biggest issue with existing recycling bins is contamination. It only takes one item to contaminate an entire recycle bin; custodial staff will not recycle material that has been mixed with trash. With this in mind, it is crucial that students not only have access to outdoor recycle bins, but also that they know how to use them as well. Rice can become more green by encouraging students to be environmentally conscious. Recycling education and other aspects of sustainable living should be discussed during Orientation Week, a period in which students develop habits that carry them throughout their academic careers. Moreover, the administration should set formal and visible goals for campus sustainability. Curiously, President David Leebron's 10-point Vision for the Second Century does not mention any goals for sustainability. In a world of growing environmental issues, it is short-sighted to rank environmental consciousness on the low end of Rice's to-do list.

In short, Rice can increase its environmental edge by instilling a sense of environmental consciousness across campus. How we prioritize environmental measures is a reflection of our environmental health as a university. When sustainable culture meets sustainable infrastructure, Rice can truly call itself green. 

Tierra Moore is a Baker College junior.

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