Trash Value

Yetunde Ajibola an international student living in one of the resident halls had no idea what recycling was all about. In her home country, there were folks who took on the job of manually sorting out trash. Most of the things that are recycled are aluminum and other metallic materials. Whereas Erin Sykes, a graduate assistant with the Office of Sustainability grew up knowing where to throw the cans and where not to put the papers. Such is the mix of the population that make up the Ohio University which has currently become committed to sustainability. While Yetunde tries to come to terms with the culture of recycling Erin is gradually making it a lifestyle; not that her job requires it but adopting such a lifestyle makes her a model.

With Dressing in Trash, Going Green and the Ohio Ecohouse (a.k.a. Green House), the recycle culture is gradually gaining ground in Ohio University (OU). Matt Hartman who has lived in the Green House for three years believes that the decision to conserve energy or recycle needs the support of others. Being a resident in the Green House where the culture of conserving energy and recycling is adopted by all it is easier for him to sustain a lifestyle he has craved and will like to live outside OU.



Locating the Office of Sustainability and Facilities Management, which created the Ecohouse and other similar projects to promote sustainability while entrenching the recycle culture, was a task. The building was not marked in any way and people around were oblivious of the immense work being done by the office which was established three years ago. OU Journal sought to find out about the recycle culture in Ohio University and what Sonia Marcus the first and current coordinator is doing to improve on it.

OUJ: What are your responsibilities?

SM: Most people think about energy conservation when they hear about sustainability but my office which is responsible for both the facilities management and sustainability is committed to improving the efficiency of our facilities and strengthening the Ohio University culture of environmental mindfulness. We work towards making lesser negative impact on our environment. The sustainability arm of the office is responsible for coordinating the participation of students, staff and the local community in an effort to reduce the consumption of resources and minimize ecological footprint.



OUJ: What is the impact of the hundreds who have not adopted the recycle culture?

SM: Change comes from within and it will never happen if we worry about the people out there who are not conserving energy or recycling. Everyone including myself can live better by reducing negative environmental impact.

OUJ: Does it matter whether OU is recycling trash from within or without?
SM: We are aware of the fact that some trash come from outside but this is a very minimal percentage which is made up of few people who have gone out of their way to ensure they sustain the recycle culture. We are glad to help them.

OUJ: Does the trash recycling effort cost the school more money?

SM: No. On the contrary it generates fund for the university and saves the university money. As you know we pay to haul trash but where an agreement is reached for the same company to pick up recyclable materials, a reduced rate is charged on hauling trash. Recyclable materials are an asset; they have value and generate wealth for the university.

Recyclable materials are an asset; they have value and generate wealth for the university.

OUJ: What does the university do with trash?

SM: Sorting out trash is not part of the contract we have with the solid waste district so when recyclable material has been mixed with trash, it is returned to us and we have to manually sort it out. The cost of employing hands to manually sort out trash is minimal. Owing largely to the fact that some students who are convicted are “punished” with trash sorting as “community service.”

OUJ: How much money does the recycled material generate

SM: I can’t give you a figure up the top of my head especially because the materials are weighed at the truck and sold by the company that hauls our trash. With the selling price of recycled paper escalating the former OU recycling and refuse manager, Ed Newman, previously suggested we sell the recycled materials directly instead of returning it to be sold on our behalf, But the decision was upturned after the company complained and reminded us that directly selling is not part of the contract. The contract is such that the university gets a preferential trash hauling rate in exchange for the recycled materials picked up and sold to offset part of the hauling cost by the company.



OUJ: What percentage of the trash is actually recycled?

SM: About 35%. We don’t weigh them directly; it is done by the company.

OUJ: I am aware that plastic bottles for instance cannot be recycled.

SM: Any material marked as solid or non-recyclable are sent to the Athens-Hocking Landfill. I do not have the figures on what goes to the landfill as this is a decision made by the hauling company.



OUJ: How has the job affected your lifestyle?

SM: Beyond the classes I teach and the official requirement, sustainability is a lifestyle. My action will be questionable if I drive around town in my truck not being mindful of gas emission. As the coordinator, I have to be a model when it comes to conserving energy and recycling. The change we want to see in people should begin with us. I have always been involved with going green but the job has helped me to co-opt others. Though I could choose to be radical about reducing environmental footprint and decide for instance not to fly or use coal generated power but I have been able to balance my need against my interest. I enjoy how my lifestyle evolves. I put a lot of reflection into the decisions I make.

OUJ: How have you been able to promote recycling in OU:

SM: We have a long way to go but we have done a lot. The Ohio Ecohouse is an example of how to live better and a number of people have visited the house. The Recyclemania competition which was initiated by Ed Newman and Stacy Edmonds Wheeler (Miami University) began as a friendly competition. It has been widely received and now draws many universities from across the nation. Also our “Dancing in Trash” which kicked off the ten-week Recyclemania competition for this year helped to promote recycling in OU.

OUJ: What are your plans for the future?

SM: Social change and education is not just about communication but behavior change. Since the lifestyle of students who live outside the campus has an impact on our recycle culture, we intend to promote recycling to the apartment complexes. This will enable the management reinforce the culture.