Recycling program celebrates milestone, efforts continue at home

What started as a recycling project for Dr. 丹尼斯·巴克斯·里克特, communications professor at 帕洛阿尔托学院, has expanded into a network of 教师, 工作人员, and students all working toward one thing: promoting environmental sustainability.  

“We want to do something to help the onslaught of climate change,” said Richter. She leads the student organization, 俱乐部地球, along with the Go Green ¡佛得角万岁! 员工委员会. “我们不仅想教育学生, 教师, 和工作人员, but the wider community about the critical need for us to be involved and not to be complacent.”

今年是50周年^th anniversary of Earth Day, and the ¡佛得角万岁! committee recently celebrated a milestone of its own. Since implementing this volunteer-driven recycling program in 2009, 学院已经节省了近600英镑,000磅纸, 纸板, 塑料, 金属, 还有垃圾填埋场的玻璃. About 45 volunteers are involved in looking after their buildings and collecting items from the recycling bins throughout campus. 

的 conservation lessons this year will be greater than ever before as reports around the world show a fall in emissions due to people staying home as a result of the pandemic. Spending extra time at home presents an opportunity to begin eco-friendly habits; while it may seem like a daunting task for some, Richter says it all starts with one step. 

"Take the time to set up a recycling program during this quarantine era of staying at home,里希特说. 在我们家, we have a recycle bin set up in our kitchen that we fill with paper, 纸板, 干净的金属, 干净的塑料, 还有干净的玻璃. When it's full, we take it to the outdoor recycling toter [bin] that the city picks up once per week." 

耶稣洛佩兹, 地球俱乐部的成员, started being eco-conscious by avoiding single-use 塑料s like grocery bags, 食品包装, 瓶, 吸管, 容器, 杯, 和餐具. 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, about 80 percent of what Americans throw away is recyclable, yet America's recycling rate is only 28 percent.

“的 main thing I do is stay away from 塑料 waste and unnecessary packaging in anything that I buy,洛佩兹说。. “I’ve stopped buying 塑料 water 瓶, and I’m not using single-use plates or 杯 at home. I’m making food at home rather than getting takeout.”

During the current period of social distancing, 俱乐部地球 students are continuing their efforts in their homes by taking on new projects and encouraging their families to adopt good habits that will benefit the environment. 

“We've cleaned our yard and are going to build the garden we've been planning for a while. We are going to grow veggies,” said Ashley Arellano, 俱乐部地球 vice president. “Also, instead of using the dryer constantly, we’ve been drying our sheets outside.” 

里希特, her motivation for being eco-friendly stems from a desire to use resources wisely and leave a place better than she found it. Richter will be retiring this year, and now it’s time for someone else to lead the ¡佛得角万岁! 书院的使命.

“Dr. Richter is very outgoing, and she really cares about the environment. It’s very inspiring to see her and how she’s making a change,” said Erika Alonzo, 俱乐部地球 member. “It’s made me want to do more for the environment.” 

To learn more about getting involved in 俱乐部地球, visit 阿拉莫的经验. 的 圣安东尼奥市 also has resources available for anyone interested in learning how to recycle correctly and setting up recycling service to your home.