To the Editor:
I appreciate Adam Mietelski’s special to The Quad entitled “Be Smart WCU” (March 3). His suggestion to place bottle and can recycling bins by the trash cans in Sykes Student Union truly deserves consideration. People rarely recycle unless the opportunity to do so is presented to them. I often purchase a plastic bottled beverage from Sykes, and each time I glance about for a place to recycle it after I am done, only to be once more disappointed by the lack of recycling bins for plastics. At first, I was frustrated by the lack of recycling means and – because of no apparent bin for plastic recycling – I ironically ended up just tossing it in with the trash. Now, though, I carry the empty bottle around until I find a bin in which to recycle it. However, few students want to carry around empty bottles and cans in their book bag and inevitably do what I used to do. I agree that students (and everyone else) need to wise up, but we must also realize that recycling is often only accomplished when the means to do so are presented to us.
Emily Haskell
Fourth-Year Student