Kendra Loh
Staff Writer
A majority of Union students do not think twice when they discard their trash. That habit, however, is what the Students for Sustainability organization on campus is trying to change.
In order to raise awareness for recycling, members of the organization participated in the America Recycles Day event Nov. 17 at Jackson Fairgrounds Park.
America Recycles Day is organized by Keep America Beautiful, a volunteer-based community action and education organization. This event was held to promote and celebrate recycling in America.
Events were hosted in all parts of the country to promote awareness among locals in that area.
Volunteers from several organizations helped direct cars to the drop-off location to leave their recyclable items. The volunteers also helped carry heavy items such as computers and other electronics to trucks that would transport them to the recycle centers.
“America Recycles Day is a national holiday put in place to encourage Americans to be responsible with their waste,” said Cari Phillips, sustainability coordinator at Union.
“We wanted to partner with the community in this ongoing effort,” Phillips said. “Recycling saves money, provides more jobs, reduces landfill waste and lessens the impact we have on our natural resources.”
Phillips added that it was encouraging to hear about other sustainability efforts going on in Jackson and for Students for Sustainability to make valuable connections with individuals and organizations that have similar goals.
Kelsie Leaf, freshman public relations major, said she volunteered because she was interested in learning about why recycling is important.
She greeted those in cars as they drove up and pointed them to drop-off sites.
“Several of the other volunteers were knowledgeable about recycling so I really enjoyed hearing their thoughts about it at the event,” Leaf said.
As the sustainability coordinator at Union, Phillips’ goal is to encourage students, faculty, and staff to be environmentally responsible with how the campus community eats, uses, and throws away.
Phillips is making plans to encourage sustainability awareness on campus. The Students for Sustainability organization is one avenue through which she hopes to promote awareness toward a lifestyle that is sustainable, responsible, informed and proactive.
“I’m trying to start conversations about how to share the Gospel through environmental stewardship and creation care and how we can attempt to better ourselves and our community through these practices,” Phillips said.
She is working on revitalizing the recycling program, starting an on-campus garden and doing community development work in Jackson.
Phillips also plans to bring in speakers to campus that will encourage students to ask questions about the way they interact with their environment.
“My goal is not to change the way everyone does everything, but what I do want is to see a few people really get on board with this vision and help me spread the word,” Phillips said.
