Yesterday, the sixth of April, I attended a service event in between Smith-Steeb Hall and Park-Stradley Hall. This event was a party/ carnival that catered to The Ohio State University’s siblings weekend. Attending and volunteering at this event fulfilled my International Affairs service requirement for spring semester. For this event I helped tear down the equipment and pick up litter around the two buildings. There was a shocking amount of trash to be picked up.
I am very passionate about the environment and many environmental injustices prevalent in today’s society. Seeing the truly outrageous amount of trash produced from this one event was honestly quite frustrating. Luckily, several other volunteers and I were there to help clean up. Unfortunately, this called my attention to many of the environmental crimes that occur far too often on Ohio State’s campus.
On a daily basis, I see liter. I see countless pieces of trash and garbage all across campus. Repeatedly, I have heard multiple students complain that there are simply not enough trash cans on campus, but this doesn’t excuse littering. I think a step in the right direction for our campus would be to increase awareness for environment injustice and to add more trash and recycling bind across campus. These two practices will aid in the pursuit of creating a more green campus.
This semester, I am enrolled in an Earth Sciences class. This course along with my previous knowledge and experiences have made a profound impact on my current lifestyle. I proudly would classify myself as a green buckeye. What does this entail? Well, for starters, I take steps to reduce and eliminate my waste every chance I have. While some students throw all their garbage away in the trash, I deliberately sort through my waste to make sure I am recycling and composting every chance I get.
Another more recent endeavor I have undertaken to reduce my footprint on the environment is my new job at the Heirloom Cafe. Working at the Heirloom Cafe has been nothing short of inspirational. Three times a week, I am surrounded by coworkers that are as passionate about preserving the environment as I am. Some steps we take on a daily basis to help reduce waste include, using reusable plates and silverware (unlike many campus dining locations), preventing food and water waste, and buying locally grown products. These waste reduction strategies all make me feel better about where I work and the global impact of my job.
Prior to having this job, I was employed at Mirror Lake Eatery, another on-campus dining location. On a weekly basis, Mirror Lake Eatery threw away hundreds of pounds of cook and uncooked chicken. Working there taught me a lot about food services and food related waste. Because of this experience I am thankful for where I work today and am proud of where I work and the values my coworkers and I uphold.