JEANINE GRILLO

With Sustainability Day quickly approaching, it is an ideal time to bring up the littering issue at STAC. As a commuter, I seldom visit the dorms on campus, but from what I have seen, they are quite nice! Overall, STAC is truly a beautifully quaint campus, and I often look forward to watching the leaves change in the fall and the trees bloom in the spring. What I did not realize is how serious the littering issue at STAC is, and how it is affecting those who work to keep the campus clean.

Recently, I was asked by the campus Facilities and Construction Department to reflect on the issue and to make students aware of some common littering practices:  

Leaving garbage around receptacles – Unfortunately, garbage cannot walk to a receptacle and place itself in the trash. STAC offers students multiple receptacles on campus that are rarely full. Dropping garbage around a receptacle does not mean that it is in the receptacle, and therefore takes extra time and effort from others to properly discard. It might take a few extra steps and/or body movements, but making sure that garbage is in the trash is a huge help.

“It’s just one piece of garbage!” – Over 1,000 students visit STAC’s campus weekly, and hundreds dorm. If everyone had this mindset the campus, it would be an extremely messy place. Also, when the wind blows, the garbage travels and ends up in corners, around trees, and other complex spaces that take extra time to clean.

Thinking someone else will pick it up – Chances are if you do not want to pick it up, no one else will. There are dozens of receptacles on campus that can be used. Some just feet from one another. Keeping a clean campus is an effort that involves everyone!
October 1st is not the only day in which we should practice environmental responsibility. Cleaning up after ourselves shows respect for your school and those that work hard to keep it clean and beautiful throughout the year.