Despite learning about recycling in those Earth Day seminars we had once a year throughout elementary and middle school, I didn’t really get into the habit of recycling until my freshman year of college. The College of Charleston helped me transition away from a single-use fiend into a more conscious consumer through environmental science courses, readily available recycling locations and a whole week dedicated to sustainability. With a newfound passion to do my best to take care of this beautiful and magical planet we call home, I vowed to keep up my green habits no matter where I went in life. What I wasn’t prepared for was the roadblocks that deter so many people from living a more sustainable life.
Upon coming to Clemson, I’ve recycled both at the Kite Hill on-campus facility, as well as the Clemson Recycling Center past the neighborhood Walmart. Although Kite Hill accepts more plastic codes (the small numbers that help sort out different types of plastic), I’ve heard speculation about the quality of the site. There’s just simply not enough advertising of the tucked away site, leaving students in the dark about where they can go do their part.
Stereotypical binge drinker, college students are the perfect candidates for universities to help guide towards living a more eco-conscious lifestyle that they can carry with them past their time at Clemson. If the school began providing more support and funding towards sustainable practices, the tens of thousands of cans and bottles consumed on a weekly basis could be repurposed into something new instead of being carted off to soil on top of the massive landfills that are hidden from the public eye. I want more money to be put into practical issues like these, instead of frivolous and unwanted additions to campus or the football stadium.
Even in 2020, recycling and sustainable living is not an easy task, especially for college students. To take individual responsibility in doing your best at upcycling and recycling is always highly encouraged and appreciated. In order to enact the crucial changes that we need to see now, we are going to need the help of the wealthy corporations and institutions that play such a huge role in determining how we as consumers live our lives.
