In this unprecedented time of COVID, there have been many changes to all of our lives. From different ways of learning, to daily tests, to increased use of plastic. To ensure the safety of everyone, these changes are necessary, but could some cause more harm than good?
Plastic is widely used all around the world due to it being extremely cheap and easy to produce. It is also very sterile, allowing it to be the main material in protective equipment during this time. In grocery stores and restaurants, plastic boxes and bags are being used instead of other paper or reusable options to comply with safety standards. This is also happening on campus. In the dining hall, there are take out options with plastic clam- shell containers as well as bags. Although New York State has mandated a plastic bag ban, this initiative was put on hold due to the pandemic. Sustainability Coordinator for Student Programming, Jen Natyzak, expressed how “to- go items have been essential to keeping our Skidmore Community safe in our dining locations.” This has led to a pile up of waste in recycling and landfill bins, causing grounds crew and sustainability staffers to work hard to minimize the overflow.
Sustainability Intern Matthew Cocchi ‘21 expressed how these changes are almost out of the control of the Sustainability Office staff. Usually, to get a better idea of the amount of waste the campus is producing, there are audits that take place by the office staff to get an exact depiction of how much landfill and recycling students are producing. Unfortunately this year, Cocchi noted that this cannot take place due to the pandemic, thus restricting the Sustainability Office from getting an accurate depiction of how COVID has increased the plastic consumption.
However, to combat the increasing plastic waste on campus, the Sustainability Interns have created signage that has been put up around campus to inform more people about what they can recycle (the plastic containers) and what they cannot recycle (the plastic bags). To help with this, new bins have been placed around campus where people can drop off their plastic bags to be disposed of properly. These “plastic bags and films are collected by the office and brought to places off campus where they can be recycled” notes Cocchi, as a way to adapt to the changes.
Another initiative that was produced included an interactive map with current waste and recycling bin locations. Cocchi created this to be able to show which bins need to have their bags changed, potential sites for new bins to reduce the overflow of others, and places where lesser used bins can be moved.
All of the waste and recycling that is generated on campus is handled by Casella Waste Systems. They collect all recycled goods, ranging from glass, to cardboard, to mixed paper. However, Natyzak noted that due to fluctuations in the global market, “we are concerned that plastics #3-7 and glass are soon to be on their way out.” This change would be statewide, and would mean that only plastic items like water bottles and milk jugs would be collected, leaving out a majority of the plastic waste that the campus generates.
In addition to this, Casella does not accept the plastic clamshell containers that are so abundantly used in the dining hall. These items are in the accepted range of what the waste system should collect, but the size and shape of the container hinders them from accepting it. With the uncertainty that this pandemic caused, these containers were the best option, but a switch to a different type will hopefully be made in the dining hall. This could further pose a huge waste issue and lead to recyclables ending up in landfills and posing further damage to our environment. This is also a big social justice problem as landfills are usually located in low- income communities, causing an adverse amount of health effects to this vulnerable population. The traffic to these landfills from companies also causes harmful air pollution and noise. Food waste produces methane when it is not disposed of properly, which can cause cancer is its most extreme form.
Lily Feldman ‘22, head of the Plastic Free Campus Campaign, is working towards creating a more sustainable campus community and getting rid of unnecessary single-use plastics. After talking with dining hall staff, she noted that “Skidmore’s plastic consumption rates in the dining hall this year is about 15-20% higher than in years past.” Although this is due to the increased need of safety during this pandemic, Feldman expressed how “Skidmore should have initially begun with a plan for students to bring their own bags and utensils to use for takeout.” Despite all of these drawbacks, Feldman is optimistic that we can eventually become a plastic free campus!
Although some plastic around us is used to keep everyone safe, it can still cause harm to us and our ecosystem. If possible, bring a reusable bag to the dining hall to carry your food instead of taking a plastic bag. Also, even during the pandemic, Spa is still giving out a .25 cent discount for using a plate and Burgess is giving a .20 cent discount for bringing a reusable mug. When walking around campus, be sure to check out the plastic bag bin on Case Walkway and look for signs from the Sustainability Office showing what can and cannot be recycled. Given this, it is imperative that we all stay healthy during this time, so be sure to keep complying with guidelines and applaud those who are making this campus as safe it can be for us.
Photo provided by Emily Chase ‘22