Creating spaces that sustain the environment is pivotal to helping combat the ever-growing global waste issue. At Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM), a higher education institution, there are few recycling bins. Even though AUM is considered a top college in Alabama that offers different academic opportunities there is a lack of environmental awareness. The campus needs to improve in terms of being environmentally friendly and promoting sustainability while creating a lot of waste with its population. Since AUM creates a lot of waste, adding more recycling bins to the university campus would benefit the environment and encourage the students, faculty and community members to recycle their waste.
The main reason that AUM should incorporate recycling bins onto its campus is because of their impact on the environment. According to an article from Green Living Answers, recycling bins reduce waste, conserve natural resources, prevent pollution, save energy and support a circular economy. Providing an accessible way for those on campus to dispose of recyclable materials helps reduce the amount of waste put into landfills.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as of 2024, Alabama has four operational landfills and 15 candidate landfills. Landfills are the leading cause of a potent greenhouse gas called methane emissions contributing to climate change. Also, recycling helps conserve natural resources like water and timber. Investing in more recycling bins on the AUM campus can help ensure materials like metal, plastic, and glass can become repeatedly used. Taking this step can reduce the environmental footprint on this campus and lead surrounding areas to do the same.
As one of the leading universities in Alabama, it is important for AUM to set an example for its students. Adding more recycling bins onto the campus will not only promote sustainable practices. According to E&I Cooperative Services, to get students involved there should be initiatives to encourage participation. Like competitions, student programs and rewards can gain their attention and give students something to invest time into. For example, E&I Cooperative Services lists creating a monthly dorm competition with top-performer leaderboards and prizes.
Something like this could tackle the huge waste issues on college campuses during beginning-semester move-in and end-of-semester move-outs. During these big moves, students throw away items into huge containers put outside by the institutions. At AUM a huge portion of this trash blows away onto the ground and ends up anywhere on the streets. Pushing students to participate in programs or competitions could help ensure that these items end up recycled and not in random landfills.
The additions to recycling bins on AUM’s campus can make the overall aesthetic of the university pretty. Currently, near the dormitories, there are multiple overflowing trash cans, which ruin the aesthetic of the campus and make it look dirty. Adding recycling bins on each dorm’s floor and by the big outside trash can ensure waste is properly disposed of. This can make AUM look like a clean campus to visit and live on.
A big reason many oppose any recycling initiatives in their spaces is the cost and time. According to the EPA, a huge issue is non-recyclable items being placed in recycling bins. This pushes the progress of recycling back and the EPA ends up losing more money. Then these items still end up becoming contaminated in already toxic landfills.
However, the failure to create long-term environmental benefits outweighs the costs. According to Thought Co. two influential environmental organizations the Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense Fund have issued reports about the benefits of recycling. Each showed how recycling programs reduce pollution and the use of virgin resources, which decreases the amount of garbage and the need for landfills. This ends up being less than the cost of regular pickup and disposal of garbage. At AUM the addition of a recycling program would cut the waste management costs over time and prove to be beneficial financially and environmentally.
The addition of more recycling bins to Auburn University at Montgomery’s campus is an opportunity to be environmentally responsible and sustainable with community members. Although there could be possible expenses to come, the long-term benefits like reduced waste and conserving natural resources outweigh any expenses. Having students, faculty and community members engage in programs and eco-friendly practices will help AUM become an example institution for others. AUM investing in recycling bins would ensure the university is protecting the surrounding environment for generations.
