The Exponent - Purdue's Student Newspaper

The forum, titled "Sustainable Sustainability: Recycling at Purdue," allowed audience members to question four Purdue panelists and two outside consultants about recycling concerns on campus. Issues addressed ranged from wasting paper to wasting food.

One audience member suggested recycling problems stem from overconsumption and asked how Purdue can encourage students to consume less.

Marty Seaman, senior consultant for Resource Recycling Systems, replied that the answer isn't to stop consuming; it is to find a balance.

"You can consume and recycle. It isn't either or."

A student from Boiler Green Initiative responded to another suggestion about the removal of cover sheets from lab print jobs.

Carmen Martin, a sophomore in the College of Consumer and Family Science, said discussions with ITaP are underway to find an alternative. One possibility is to have one cover sheet for all of a student's print-offs from a single visit.

It is likely, Martin added, that a pop-up will appear which informs the student of double-sided printing. This box will instruct the student on how to change the print setting and will report the number of trees the student can save by this action.

Food waste was a major concern addressed at multiple times throughout the night.

Terry Cegielski, assistant director of grounds and sustainability, shocked the audience when he reported that an average of 10 tons of solid food waste from the five dining courts are dumped into landfills each month.

"I was disgusted by this number," he said. "We have discussed incineration. We have suggested feeding it to livestock. We have investigated composting."

Each solution brings its own concerns and while no solution may be implemented immediately, Cegielski said, this problem is on the radar.

Brianna Dorie, a graduate student and sustainability intern, said the sustainability council has been having a difficult time connecting with students but forums help the council connect and communicate with the Purdue community.

"Interest in the (recycling) movement has grown exponentially. It is really good to see what has come out of it so far."