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Eastman School of Music Recycling Update

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Mary Santiago, Environmental Services Supervisor

Have you noticed recycling at the University of Rochester is casual, clear, and common? Now these same tactics are in place at the Eastman School of Music. Receptacle recycling at Eastman has been overhauled in time for the new academic year.

A while back, Mary Santiago, Environmental Services Supervisor at Eastman, teamed up with Amy Kadrie, the Recycling Coordinator for the University, to analyze facilities at Eastman and look for potential improvements in recycling efforts. The main recommendation was to upgrade the recycling bins in the dormitory and academic buildings. Previous recycling bins were outdated and unfortunately largely contaminated by trash.

Around this time Residential Assistants expressed a growing interest among Eastman students to live more sustainably. The RA’s informed Mary of comments made by students concerning recycling, specifically that students were requesting improved containers. Eastman RA’s also reached out to Amy requesting a presentation on the “dos and don’ts” of recycling and recommended additional recycling containers. In theory, the new, standard receptacles cause a greater buy-in from students to actively participate in recycling and use bins properly.

As a result, trios were placed in the Student Living Center and Eastman’s other buildings. In combination with the new receptacles, RA’s are educating and encouraging students to take charge and contribute to recycling efforts. Student leaders understand that simply supplying receptacles does not solely increase recycling, and therefore along with the new containers is a student-led awareness and encouragement campaign.

top view of recycle binsCommon on the River Campus, the recycling trios are three individual bins marked by green lids for plastic,  metal, and glass, blue lids for paper and cardboard, and gray for trash. So far, they are easy to use and have a generally positive response at the University. Now at Eastman School of Music’s Student Living Center, floors, lounges, game rooms, and kitchens have trios. Around the rest of campus, trios are available in the Eastman Theater lobby, Eastman East Wing, Recital Hall, large classrooms, and 2nd floor Cominsky Promenade.

The Eastman School of Music partners with Waste Management for its recycling and waste hauling, just as the River Campus does. Recently, Eastman added a composting program also run by Waste Management to collect pre-consumer organic material. Together, the two programs are a strong effort from Eastman in adhering to the University’s sustainability goals.

By Alanna Scheinerman, Class of 2013