Hear that? It's the sound of 5,000 trees not falling in the forest.
And that's only one effect of the "eco" ringing around campus, as St. Ambrose implements a collaborative recycling program jump-started by a $32,000 Scott County Regional Authority grant.
Fueled by the earth-friendly student power of Katie Voelliger-with Student Government Association President Greg Geistkemper, SGA Vice President Alex Cahill, and Green Life member Adam Hurlburt-the program is expected to generate other savings in just one year. For instance, by recycling only half of its paper waste, St. Ambrose would use 850 cubic yards less landfill space annually.
Although aluminum- and paper-recycling bins are already a familiar sight in common areas of some of St. Ambrose buildings, what makes this new recycling initiative different is its collaborative nature, with several entities across campus involved.
"There is now a deeper institutional commitment to figure out how to recycle on campus on a regular basis," says Tim Phillips, dean of students. "A number of administrators have talked about more substantive changes that would lessen St. Ambrose's impact on the environment."
SCRA's grant, along with about $20,400 of in-kind support from the university, will help pay for recycling bins for paper and cardboard in every resident's room, and a baler for aluminum cans and cardboard for use in the student cafeteria. All materials will be collected for pick up by a recycling agency.
And, like the green theme of "reuse, recycle and renew," Katie and the other students who've invested their time and energy in this program are counting on it growing and continuing long after they've graduated from St. Ambrose.
"I came across a quote during my internship with the Scott County Waste Commission: 'The planet earth isn't ours. We borrow it from our children,'" says Katie, who graduates in May.
It was a pivotal moment for her, because it made her think beyond even her own future. "Someday, when I have kids, I want them to have the opportunity to grow up on an earth that's healthy."
-R. Youngblood
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