By Avery Chang

All too often people throw plastic bags and paper cups into the trash with other waste, instead of recycling it. But the NYU chapter of Earth Matters seeks to change that.

LS sophomore Davis Saltonstall, a member of Earth Matters, has been leading a breakout group to promote better recycling habits. In conjunction with the Office of Sustainability, Saltonstall’s group has been working on an educational program to help students understand the complexity of recycling at the university.

The group has been focusing primarily on the recycling in residential buildings, which can be difficult because of the pickup services involved.

“Our greatest focus, because we believe it will have the most social impact, has been making sure people know how to use recycling in NYU dorms,” Saltonstall said.

Until Nov. 26, Saltonstall’s group will be present in all of the residential buildings to teach residents about the recycling facilities in their specific building. The group aims to educate residents by testing their knowledge of recycling through quiz games, and handing out signs that explain how to separate recyclables and normal waste.

“When I first came to NYU, recycling seemed really complicated,” CAS freshman Jake Gianaris said. “But after learning more about it from Earth Matters, I realized that it’s actually a pretty simple process.”

NYU’s recycling is overseen by the Action Carting and the city’s Department of Sanitation. The differences in these two pickup systems creates issues for those who are interested in recycling properly.

In buildings managed by Action Carting, Styrofoam and unrecyclables such as food, are the only items that cannot be recycled. Action Carting buildings have signs that specify the type of waste that goes in each bin.

“That’s it. That’s all you have to remember,” Saltonstall said. “As long as the trash is mostly clean, it will be picked up and sorted.”

 Buildings managed by the Department of Sanitation are typically those leased by NYU, such as Lafayette residence hall, Gramercy Green residence hall and Greenwich Hotel residence hall. In these buildings, residents must sort their waste and recyclables, and signs are posted to guide them. Soft plastics, such as wrappers and plastic bags, cannot be recycled.

“Recycling is different in so many different places around the nation just based on who is picking up the trash,” Saltonstall said. “It’s not a uniform system.”

 Aside from the educational program, Earth Matters and the Office of Sustainability are also interested in facilitating recycling through better-labeled recycling bins.

“NYU’s current recycling rate is at 30 percent, and our goal is to get to 50 percent by 2017,” said Jessie Baker, who works for the Office of Sustainability’s Task Force.

Saltonstall and his group are creating other projects, including a university-wide recycling competition in the residence halls during the first week of December. They are also brainstorming future ideas, but Saltonstall said Earth Matters will continue to advocate for better waste management at NYU.

“Promoting recycling, more than the fact that it reduces waste, is a power for change because it helps people see the world as an interconnected and complex system,” Saltonstall said.

Avery Chang is a staff writer. Email her at [email protected].