Going Green at Union

So when we came back to campus this semester, we realized that many things have changed. I have already mentioned much of this in previous posts. We have many new buildings and lots of remodeling work done all across our campus. And yes, Union is fully functional again. But we soon found out that it was not just the buildings that have changed around here. The moment we entered the cafeteria (formerly Coburn) we realized more change was beginning.

Our trays that we used to get our food were tied up with a sign talking about our "carbon footprint." It was a little weird, and some of us did not know what to think of it. Our habit was to walk in, go to the buffet section, grab a tray, and then get some food. But instead, we had to go straight to the food bars to get food. At first, this seemed wrong. No longer could we get our main course, a drink, and a salad/dessert all at once. We realized we would have to make 2 trips now. So needless to say, some people were not happy. But then as we sat at our tables, we learned the whole story.

On each table was a sign explaining how much money and energy we are saving by going "trayless." We cut out about 500 gallons of water per student by doing this. Also it cuts down each student's wasted food by 20-30%. That means they can prepare less food and not use as much water, soap, and electricity to wash our trays. We realized that this was actually a very positive step in Union's goal of "Going Green."

About a week later, our napkins changed as well. Each napkin has "This product was made of 100% recycled materials" printed on it. So now we are using recycled napkins, which is another great step. Also, we have a cardboard recycling bin on campus, and paper recycling bins are coming later in the semester.

Now I have always understood the importance of recycling, but I have never jumped on board with the idea and actually participated to a great extent. This semester, all of us are getting a great opportunity to help our environment. After all, we are to be good stewards of all God has given us. He gave humans the order to take care of all that is in the world. It is our responsibility to keep this planet well-managed. And by doing simple tasks such as recycling our goods or reducing water and energy consumption, we can make a huge difference. We are being taught some valuable lessons this semester.

So I encourage you to find those small ways in which you can help our world. I am not trying to give you the typical recycling speech. But I am asking that you consider what you can do. If you are at a school or university, consider the "trayless" idea for the cafeteria. Or if you are at home, find ways to recycle all that trash that you go through on a daily basis. There are lots of ways that we can help this world; find yours, and get involved.

Matt