If you are a UO student who cares about sustainability, you may have found yourself thinking, ”How come there aren’t any compost bins in the Erb Memorial Union?” I have had the same thought many times while throwing a Chipotle bowl or napkin into the trash can.
Steve Mital, the director of sustainability at UO, explained that the lack of compost bins is due to the large amount of packaging that does not break down quickly enough to make a viable product. Essentially there is no composting company that is able to accommodate the kinds of post-consumer compostable items that make their way into the university’s bins. However, there are still many things we students can do to live a more sustainable college life.
The good news is that there are other composting processes going on around campus. Out of the compost the university produces, about 70% is “back of the house” compost. Mital explained that this means, “the stuff which originates in the kitchens that support the dining facilities on campus.” Mital said the reason this composting program is still intact is because “it’s a relatively small number of people that are operating a very high volume of compostable material. It’s really clean and much easier to manage and control.”
In terms of lowering your environmental impact on campus, Mital named several ways students can get involved in sustainability efforts at UO.
One big impact is a student’s choice of transport to campus. Riding a bike, taking public transit or walking are good ways to get to class that are better for the environment than single-occupancy vehicles. UO offers free public transit for faculty, staff and students, and there are PeaceHealth bikes all around campus. There are so many options to ensure students can make a sustainable choice about getting to class.
Recycling is a simple way to make a positive impact. A crucial step, however, that sometimes gets overlooked is to make sure you are sorting your recyclable materials before placing them into bins.
There are many vegan, vegetarian and organic options in the catering facilities across campus that allow students to choose more environmentally friendly meals.
Other programs for students to get involved with on campus include clubs such as OSPIRG, which is the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group, the Climate Justice League and CAER, the Coalition Against Environmental Racism. The Student Sustainability Center can connect students to all of these clubs, as well as many other environmentally-oriented clubs.
The Environmental Leadership Program “offers a really good opportunity for students to learn how to do environmental education and how to support local organizations which advocate for various environmental policies.”
Another opportunity for students to engage in environmental efforts is the Washington and Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference, which will take place March 2-4 at UO. This conference will bring together experts in sustainability to talk about ways to make campuses more sustainable.
With ongoing programs and ways to participate in sustainability, it is possible to find ways to live a more sustainable life as a college student.
Oregon Recycles (Rick Obst)