By Adam Al-Harbi

An aluminum soda can had this to say as it skimmed through the blue, circular opening of its new temporary home: “CLANG!” Yes, our metal friend provided audible consent to its own recycling, martyred with that sound still fading sweetly on its silver tongue. But ‘Al Uminum Frances III’, my personal “spirit guide” of social change, is not the only one on campus working to reverse destructive trends associated with waste production. Indeed, Al’s “CLANG!” is but one of many sounds arising from the UMass Dartmouth community in regards to new waste reduction programs and the public education required therein.

“Of the 3,041 tons of waste our campus produced last year, only 70 tons were paper products that got recycled,” explained Dave Ferguson of Facilities last Wednesday, during the awareness-raising event ‘ Mindful Look at Campus Waste and Recycling.’ Hosted in the library browsing area by junior biology major Lauren Watka, ‘Mindful Look’ brought together students, faculty, and local activists to outline current projects and discuss upcoming plans. The presentation featured a panel of speakers ranging from our own Carl Peterson of Food Services to Dartmouth Recycling’s Marissa Perez-Dormitzer.

 Ms. Perez-Dormitzer began the event by speaking in depth about a huge ‘cloud’ of floating garbage, twice the size of Texas, that has been brought together by currents in the Pacific Ocean. While mostly composed of washed out litter, the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” contains everything from medical waste to thousands of Nike sneakers and rubber duckies fallen from cargo ships.

“There’s really no such thing as ‘waste,’” Ms. Perez-Dormitzer said. Instead of biodegrading, plastic only photodegrades, breaking down in sunlight into small plastic polymers which attract toxic chemicals like DDT. In the ocean, these plastic particles tend to resemble tiny, colorful plankton, and are eaten by fish and birds, often filling their stomachs until they die of starvation or becoming part of the food we eat. “All the garbage from New Bedford and Dartmouth- which includes the university- goes to New Bedford’s Crapo Hill Landfill,” where it remains. “Waste doesn’t go away.”

Many of the faculty members who spoke at the event expressed a desire to do more than their required duties, to help the community and take actions that Ferguson called “simply socially correct. We all need to take an active role.”

Carl Peterson and the Resident Dining staff are examples of faculty going above and beyond. 

“Between Res. Caf. and the Campus Store, we produce between three and six 800-pound bales of trash a week,” said Peterson. All Sodexho paper is recyclable, and materials like empty plastic tubs are redistributed each week to those who can use them, including local composters, “but kids waste a lot of food.” Peterson spoke about being in the early planning stages of providing food waste as compost to local farms and possibly even having an on-campus hot compost heap, but he noted that daily pickups would be necessary to avoid pests and keep working areas clear. A project currently in process is the weighing of food left on students’ plates, to calculate the amount of daily waste. “It’s about education,” Peterson said.

With residence halls now accounting for over half of the annual waste produced on campus, Eric Lyonnais of Housing spoke about plans for an upcoming dormitory recycling program. “We would like to provide every room with a bag or bin, which students could bring to designated areas in their building.” The program would most likely begin in Pine Dale, Maple Ridge, and Ivy, and then grow from there. Also being considered is the installation of mechanical recycling machines, like those found in many supermarkets, which could “possibly give deposits in the form of snack money,” Lyonnais said.

“A Mindful Look” was sponsored by The Consortium for the Advancement of Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship, and also by the Center for Sustainability. “Sustainability” is a broad subject, covering everything from environmental protection and clean energy to food distribution, and there are many people actively supporting the sustainability efforts on campus. If you’re interested in helping, or for more information, contact Susan Jennings at ext. 6484.