Starbucks cups, salad containers, single-use utensils – a lot of the items I (and most Hofstra students) accumulate throughout the day to eat and drink with are made of plastic. Naturally, my roommates and I have attempted to recycle such plastic in our dorm’s recycling bins. Almost immediately after doing so at the beginning of this semester, however, our RA told the residents on our floor that only cans and plastic bottles can be recycled in those bins. When pressed further, she stated that it was not possible to recycle other forms of plastic from our residence hall. 

This feels like an outrageous policy – recycling of plastic is not a new phenomenon, and neither are the environmental issues that are caused by the buildup of plastic in landfills and waterways. It is true that some plastics aren’t necessarily recyclable: according to the NY State Department of Conservation, polystyrene, or plastic type 6, is not accepted by most recycling centers because of the difficult nature in sorting it to prevent contamination with other forms of recyclable material. Instead of providing this type of plastic and allowing more of it to enter our landfills, the University should do the responsible thing and simply eliminate its use in dining locations on campus. 

The University’s web page on recycling is brief, and states that items such as mixed paper, cans, bottles, batteries and refrigerants are “sorted from the general waste stream on campus.” The page does not mention any avenues for the recycling of plastic meal containers, utensils, cups or straws – all things that are provided by eateries on Hofstra’s campus. Many containers, such as those provided at Hofstra USA and in the Student Center’s pasta station, are labeled as compostable. But is the University truly making the effort to separate these containers from the rest of the trash and properly compost them? It doesn’t seem like it, as students have long witnessed trash and recycling being dumped into the same bags by custodial workers.

Yes, we could all individually choose to stop using disposable plastic, but if it continues to be offered on campus, I find it hard to believe that its ease and convenience won’t appeal more to students over having to wash silverware and plates at home. Ultimately, though, it isn’t fair to place the entirety of the blame on individual students – it is flawed in the same way that blaming people for the rise in greenhouse gas emissions is, when a few major corporations have been the driving force behind it. Individuals can only do so much; institutions must also be held accountable.

Like American University in Washington, D.C., the University should provide a more sustainable living experience by expanding its recycling program to include a place to responsibly dispose of all the containers offered on campus. American’s recycling program is recognized as one of the best university waste management systems in the country and allows students to place all recyclable items into a single container labeled “Mixed Recycling.” The school also maintains on-campus mechanisms for recycling solid waste like furniture, electronics and plastic bags and wraps. 

Hofstra could also utilize reusable containers for food at campus eateries. For example, at Binghamton University in upstate New York, dining halls have adopted the innovative OZZI system, which provides students with a reusable container to fill with food that is then returned to a vending machine after use. Once returned, students receive a token that can be redeemed for another reusable container for a future meal at any dining location on campus. 

It is only fair that the University does its part to secure its students’ futures in the face of climate change, both by allowing us to recycle in a more efficient and streamlined manner and by providing more transparency on the issue. By implementing such programs at Hofstra, the administration would truly make good on its commitment to “conserving natural resources and energy by managing materials more efficiently.”