Friday, January 12, 2007

Personal Responsibility

Having spoke with Dr. Verges during the fall semester 2006, I was already aware of the project she was incorporating into her Spring 2007 Statistics class and was (and still am) excited to be a part of it.

I have been an avid recycler for many years and over the past year have become even more fanatical about recycling. When I pull my trash out to the curb, I try to have more in my recycling bin than I do my trash can. Despite my efforts, Dr. Verges has made me aware that only a small percentage of what I put in my recycling bin actually gets recycled, particularily with respect to plastic. This first week of class alone has made me aware of some of the issues surrounding plastic bags; such as the dangers they impose on our wildlife.

Community awareness is critical for educating individuals (myself including) on the importance of taking ownership of these issues. It takes all of us, collectively, to come together and make it our responsibility to reduce waste. Together, we can make a difference!

Thank you Dr. Verges for making this part of your course this semester and for your dedication to improving our environment.

1 comment:

Michelle said...

According to Calvin Manns, Operator of South Bend Waste Paper (SBWP), approximately 1-2% of materials sent to SBWP is not recycled, either because it's not acceptable for recycling (i.e., plastic bags) or because it's a contaminated product (i.e., mayo still in the jar).

So that means the majority of our goods sent to SBWP are indeed recycled. In fact, SBWP ships our goods to Chicago for recycling.