Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 7, 2008)
2 News Wednesday, May 7, 2008 Clackamas Green issues dug up in tra: A major step on the path to sustainability began April 30 with a comprehensive audit of Clackamas ’ trash and staff were invited to come and witness the goings-on. Prizes were News Associate offered in a carnival like fashion — a spin of a wheel, and whatever it . The loudspeaker could be landed on was awarded heard reverberating through to the participant. The out the Oregon City campus items were based entire Wednesday, April 30: “Step up ly on sustainability, and spin the wheel; everyone’s from all-natural pencils and reusable grocery a winner.” Such words are usually bags to small trees. The garbage, which accompanied by giggling chil dren, flashing games, prize was taken from three animals and maybe the occa buildings - Roger Rook, sional pile of puke, but not McLoughlin and Randall hundreds of pounds of trash - was divided into four categories: trash, com scattered on the ground. Sifting through these piles post, containers such as of trash, in front of Barlow coffee cups and recy Hall, four Portland State clables. Clackamas has a recy University students, dressed in white Tyvek suits and look cling program - never ing like they just walked out theless, the campus itself Lisa Sellars of quarantine, separated the does not recycle every thing it could, accord Members of Portland State University’s Environmental Services Committee worked from trash from the not-so-trash. The scene was all part of ing to Shanna Eller, a almost noon, sorting trash into four categories: waste, compost, recyclables and contain the Waste Sort, one of the member of Community activities scheduled for the Environmental Services, the Waste Sort I Sustainability Project and the the organization in charge of showed up the most,” Eller for Clackamas County, it was ed attention, it a combination gift, initially said. auditing the school ’ s trash. beginning of a detailed audit But while Clackamas does from Metro to the county, and first of its kind t Of the four categories that will help to measure the sorted through, the college have recycling receptacles, then from there to the school Clackamas. college’s recyclable waste. The last sort, During the event, students only offers disposal for two they are often misused, and via a grant. The gift may be only the place in 2001, wi of them: trash many items that could be recy and recycling. cled are thrown out, such as first in a series of ways staff by ASG and had and faculty plan on using the ferent look to il This means that bottles because of their caps. “Almost every one of the Waste Sort to slash costs and to Wilberg. Trash everything else across the lawn is almost auto bottles has the screw tops on create revenue. College President Joann Barlow - which matically depos it,” said John Wilberg, the lead ited in the gar custodian on campus. “The Truesdell believes that the was covered - ins resources saved from cutting fined in a small sp bage unless the recycler won’t take them.” For the Sustainability waste-disposal funds will be The scene thi student finds an alternative meth Committee, the Waste Sort beneficial to learning on cam much more contai pus. parison, with the a od of discarding was a significant occasion. “This is something we “I’d rather pay for another taking place in at his or her rub have been looking forward to class, not another dumpster,” area, on tarps ap bish. 20 feet long on ea Clackamas for months,” said Elizabeth she said. Sustainability Wilberg believes Clackamas Even though tl does not current Howley, should follow in the footsteps not take up the w ly have a pro Committee organizer. Howley sees the event as of Lane University, which he Hall yard, the sight cess of dispos ing other types important because “if you’re says makes about $400,000 of pounds of rub not amazingly pli of waste aside ever going to change, you have per year from recycling. “I’d love to see us do that,” Rochelle Feltz, a from putting it to assess where you’re at.” Normally, an audit so Wilberg said. “I think we the Sustainability in the trash, but that is not the expansive would cost $700 could make this a money-mak However, she feel sorts and other m biggest problem between the actual fee for the ing program for the school.” Wilberg’s idea is not merely tainability are n surrounding the team to make the visit and college’s recy the expense of writing up the an idealistic fantasy - he says order for positivi report. Fortunately for the col that the college already saves occur. cling habits. Lisa Sellars Clackamas Print about $68,000 a year simply “We really wan “Plastic bot lege, though, it was free. ABOVE: Portland State student Will Elder According to Susanne by hauling its own trash. said. “This is an tles in the two works through recyclables. Although the results of that needs to be d buildings have Terry, a sustainability analyst John Hurlburt ■__ ¡■T Lisa Sellars] ABOVE: Large bags of trash collected from McLoughlin, Roger Rook and Randall halls were torn apart and sorted through.
