SUNYCanton Cuts Student Trash 21%

By LORI SHULL

Johnson News Service

CANTON - Students at SUNY Canton have reduced their trash output by 21 percent, but the college isn't satisfied yet.

In 2009, the college produced 69 tons of garbage, down from approximately 88.6 tons in 2008 and 89 tons in 2007, according to college officials.

"We've made a remarkable dent in our trash, especially in the light of our record enrollment," college President Joseph L. Kennedy said in a statement. "Part of the reduction stems from an overall campus awareness about reducing paper usage, becoming more eco-friendly and saving money."

The college reached an all-time enrollment high of more than 3,300 students.

Despite the increased enrollment, the college's administration and students have made a concerted effort to "go green." This is the second year SUNY Canton has participated in RecycleMania, an international recycling program on college campuses. The athletic department is collecting old cell phones and empty printer cartridges and the faculty is encouraging students not to print class materials posted online.

However, for Matthew J. Burnett, assistant professor in graphics and multimedia design and a member of the university's green campus committee, none of that is enough.

"I've created a course in collaboration with several other professors called sustainability design," Mr. Burnett said. "What people have less and less of is time. I think from the student perspective, we can be a lot more thorough and complete in an academic setting."

The course will be geared mostly toward students' creating their own project to increase awareness about environmental sustainability and reducing waste. Something like RecycleMania, or the athletics drive, could be one person's project for the semester, for example.

The college also has begun using a zero-sort recycling system, where paper does not have to be divided from glass or plastic. Green and blue bins have appeared all over campus and students are using them regularly, Mr. Burnett said. "I've seen students coming from their cars with a soda bottle and walk by one of those Dumpsters and they have the choice of black or green - it's that simple," he said. "From what I've seen, I think people normally want to do the right thing, but I think that a person doesn't see this as a problem as much as 'What am I going to feed my kids tonight? Yeah, I believe in (recycling), but I'll do something about it tomorrow. I'll think about it tomorrow.'"

With his class, students from across academic disciplines will not have the option to think about recycling in the vague future; they will be graded on how well they recycle, instead. That, according to Mr. Burnett, is the way to bring an on-campus focus to recycling.

, and it will help students in their lives after graduation as well.

"Whatever field you're going into, this is something you're going to have to think about," he said.