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.