With climate change becoming more apparent year after year, now it is more important than ever to be focusing on sustainability.
The University made a climate commitment in 2007 to become 100% carbon neutral by 2050. While meeting that goal requires a lot of work from different offices and departments at Villanova, student impact is just as important to help the University reach that goal.
“We can’t reach that [carbon neutral goal] unless we have more initiatives and more involvement from students, actually listening and implementing those things,” Ava Lorraine, a member of the Student Sustainability Committee, said. “Having a committee and a general body of students I feel like you can reach more of an audience if you have people that are students in a group and not just faculty.”
Without the efforts from students, it becomes even more difficult for the University to reach their climate goals. According to the Villanova Sustainability website, the University recycles and composites only about 37% of our daily waste.
The Student Sustainability Committee is trying their best to help raise the amount of daily waste that is properly recycled or composted but that goal can only be made possible if students lend a helping hand.
“Follow the posters you see around about proper recycling, we have those posters so that you [students] can get more involved in the process of correctly throwing those things away.” Lorraine said. “Also actually using and returning the reuse boxes from the dining hall. Some students just leave them in their dorm and don’t use them again which defeats the purpose. And then also just understanding the little things that you can do in your life on a daily basis to help.”
Besides everyday ways to help out, students can also participate in events around campus to help further both University and Student Sustainability Committee goals. Events like Planting the First Roots: Campus Sustainability Garden Volunteer Day, on Wednesday, Oct. 29, during which students can help plant in the new campus garden, are good starting points in terms of getting involved.
“We also have Wildcat Thrift,” Lorraine said. “You could be a vendor or just buy something second-hand without having to be involved in the committee. It’s all on your own accord. We also occasionally have speakers that come in, some of which are ACS approved, and you can just sit and listen to different things about the environment.”
If students don’t want to wait for the Wildcat Thrift on Friday, Oct. 31 to get second-hand clothing, they can also check out the FreeStore in the Falvey basement open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to pick out a couple items that were donated.
Students have multiple ways to get involved in sustainability on campus and if we all really put in the effort, we could make a huge difference on campus, while also helping the planet. While the University and committees on campus can introduce sustainability iniatives, it is the responsibility of students to take advantage of them and participate.
