For those who have wandered the neo-gothic shadows of Washington University for the last week without appreciating the significance of dishware, I wish to convey the ecstasy I experienced at receiving into my sweaty palm the soft fibers of a Chinet plate from a familiar Bon Appetit staff member last Wednesday in Holmes Lounge.
Why should paper plates arouse me, you wonder? Because Bon Appetit’s conversion from use of number six plastic dishware to paper plates confirms that WU students can influence our community to consume less natural resources.
But before your hormones get out of control and your heart aflutters, I must be honest and recall the disappointment I faced when, having finished my focaccia, I was forced to dispose of that finely pressed piece of tree pulp in the garbage can. Indeed the irony of Bon Appetit’s conversion from non-recyclable and slowly decomposing plastics to non-recyclable quickly biodegradable fiber ware is an apt analogy for the ebb and flow of environmental developments on campus, which have been the source of both pride and consternation.
Catalyzed by last semester’s student-authored account of resource efficiency on campus, the environmentalist community at WU has made significant strides in improving resource utilization on campus. Recently, WU hired alum Nate Dewart as Recycling Coordinator, Professor Richard Smith of the Anthropology Department spoke to an “extremely receptive” Board of Trustees regarding non-sustainable global consumption, and Chancellor Wrighton’s office hired Kyle Thomas as a part-time summer intern to research the environmental activities of WU’s local and national academic competitors. Coupled with the formation of a Committee on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the hiring of new staff has certainly improved the administrative infrastructure that deals with issues of resource efficiency. But a deeper look into the “environmentally friendly” steps taken on campus reveal that this custom-crafted administrative machine is still lacking.
Student patrons of the WU meal plan may have noticed that their culinary contract includes a reusable beverage mug emblazoned with a new brand, “Dining Services.” This year’s mugs differ from last year’s in two important respects: Bon Appetit distributed them at no additional charge and increased the incentive to reuse from fifty cents to sixty cents. However, the improvement in mug distribution was largely due to the volunteer efforts of Samir Luther and Nate Dewart during the summer. While both are members of the CEQ, they pursued the mug strategy on their own initiative before Nate was formally employed as Recycling Coordinator. In addition, the mugs were donated in good faith only after Bon Appetit deleted – rather than provide to environmental activists – statistical information regarding the frequency with which students used their mugs.
So what? Well, what purports to be an “environmentally friendly” step was made based on intuition regarding cost and resource efficiency in response to the efforts of self-motivated students. Could it be that the constant insinuations that students are not contributing their part to the efficiency effort are as unbalanced as Bon Appetit balance sheets?
Do not misinterpret this opinion as an attempt to mock the administration’s efforts. I am mostly pleased and proud. But, as Assistant to the Chancellor Steve Givens noted in an August 21st article, “this campus [administration] is decentralized.” The existence of administrative committees does not guarantee progress. Believe it or not, freshmen were denied the opportunity of entering a campus not only blanketed with fresh flowers, but also recycling containers, because of an administrative debate over the preferred aesthetic of the recycling receptacles intended for public spaces. At least I am comforted by the knowledge that the containers, when they arrive, will match the future library fa‡ade!
So how can we efficiently marry the machinations of administrators and motivations of students while keeping the trash cans pretty? I believe that through more informal cooperation, research, and articulation of ideas we can progress from “environmentally friendly” steps to resource-efficient hops. I suggest administrators (after being invited) sit in on student meetings of Green Action and the Sierra Club, the administration empower activists with the authority to open trash bags and analyze what is not getting recycled and where, the Chancellor release Kyle Thomas’ 50 page report to the public, and the CEQ buy the head of the Facilities department a subscription to Environmental Science and Engineering Magazine. As students, we must continue to look at ourselves as resources and not bystanders.