What is Trash Campus Virginia Tech?
Trash Campus Virginia Tech is a photo journal of the wastefulness and accompanying garbage that seems pervasive at VT, and throughout modern culture. Here you will find photographic examples of needless garbage and pollution, information on campus sustainability, and advice for reducing waste. The purpose of the page is to draw attention to campus pollution, and to encourage students and faculty to modify their behavior and make the campus (and our planet) a cleaner, less wasteful place.What kinds of pollution are you talking about?
I take particular issue with the widespread use of disposable styrofoam food containers in dining halls. These boxes are bad for the planet, and damaging to your health. If you take a look around this blog, you will see these containers stuffed into overflowing trashcans, and even being thrown away inside dining facilities, where students could have easily chosen a regular ceramic plate instead of the disposable foam to-go box. This is especially troubling since reusable plastic to-go boxes are sold in Owens dining hall for the express purpose of cutting down on the styrofoam waste! For more info on these reusable boxes (including health effects of eating from styrofoam), and my guide to successfully using one, please visit the "Eco-Clamshell" page.Also of concern are the disposable plastic containers used to package grab-and-go salads and snacks that can be found in almost every dining hall. These containers end up in garbage cans around campus due to the notable lack of accessible recycling bins. Along with the plastic food containers, plastic water bottles are sold in dining halls, and also end up in garbage cans instead of recycling bins.
In addition to examples of needless garbage and littering, you will also find occasional posts on other sources of campus pollution--notably, the coal-fired power plant near the upper quad.
Virginia Tech does have some great sustainability initiatives!
Virginia Tech isn't all overflowing trashcans and disposable water bottles! Recent sustainability initiatives have led to more recycling programs (now, all different types of plastic can be recycled!), energy-reduction projects, and the limited introduction of local, sustainable produce into dining halls. Tech is a very progressive research university, with a focus on science and technology, and while we are doing some great things to improve campus sustainability, we can always do more.
What can you do?
If you would like more information on campus waste reduction, and my own sustainability solutions, visit the "Sustainability" page.
If you would like to submit an example of wastefulness and/or garbage around campus, please feel free to email it to Trash Campus VT!
Unless otherwise noted, all photos are original to this blog. Please feel free to use them for your own Earth-saving purposes!
