We collected styrofoam, plastic wrap, and cardboard from freshman move in to work on eliminating landfill waste. We worked to make sure everything was collected and recycled properly instead of just putting it in the trash.
Final Project Outcome
This poster is made to show the process and outcome of the recycling ambassador program to show that being sustainable is fun and completely worth it. It highlights the photo of me and my recycling group as well as most of the styrofoam collected from the program, the move in recycling sign and the three boxes we used to distribute the recyclables.
What I did
I was involved with this program for multiple days, we had three large cardboard boxes to distribute between cardboard styrofoam and plastic wrap. We went around the building in shifts to collect recyclables from dorms in the hallways to collect and help out as well as taking shifts and helping each other to bring cardboard out to the huge recycling crates outside each building. I worked in one building in the morning and a different one in the afternoon to result in a multi-hour shift of eliminating trash waste.
What I learned
My biggest takeaway is how much waste can be produced in just a few days in college move in. We collected multiple huge crates of cardboard, a whole room full of styrofoam and multiple bags of plastic wrap. I also learned that there are many rules to recycling, u can’t recode plastic unless it is a certain type and it stretches, you cant recycle styrofoam the same way you recycle cardboard and a big issue that happens that even if one piece of trash goes in recyclables it all has to be thrown away.
What’s next for me
I have done a lot of community service through sustainability such as trash cleanups and donation days for the thrift store. I plan to do recycling ambassadors again this upcoming fall because I very much enjoyed it and felt like I made a difference. I want to do more cleanups and properly recycle for more programs for the future and I hope to become an eco ambassador intern for the next year to continue leading students to make a better earth through our college community.
