Clusters of recycling bins are scattered across campus and in
surrounding neighborhoods, but many students question the
accessibility and effectiveness of UCLA and Westwood’s
recycling programs.
Recycling programs are welcomed by most, but some students see
flaws that, students think, may limit their effectiveness.
Lack of access to recycling containers is the main problem for
many students living in Westwood.
“There wasn’t a recycling pick-up in my (old
apartment) building,” said Stephanie Toby, a fourth-year
American literature and cultures student who lives in Westwood.
Fourth-year English student Tien Teng said, “the
apartments where I live aren’t exactly recycle
friendly,” noting the lack of recycling bins in her
building.
Even though many residents don’t know it, there are
options available for those who would like to recycle.
Residents can get a program implemented in their building by
contacting the building manager and asking for recycling services,
according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.
On-campus housing residents have recycling bins for paper and
beverage containers available to them, but many said they have
problems locating them and must go out of their way to use
them.
“They’re not visible enough, and there’s not
enough of them,” said Lucas Love, a second-year history
student and resident of Canyon Point.
The campus housing recycling program is available on each floor,
according to the Office of Residential Life Web site.
The residents who use the recycling bins know that the program
exists but do not find it easily accessible or convenient.
Others are skeptical of the program.
“I think everything just goes down the trash
chutes,” said Kristine Pederson, a first-year undeclared
student.
The recycling program for on-campus housing is carried out by
volunteers who empty the bins into a larger dumpster in the
residence hall basement, said Rob Kadota, central area director for
the ORL.
“It’s been moderately successful. There’s room
for improvement,” Kadota said.
He said the program can only be as good as the state, and
recycling is not a strong point in California.
The bins around the UCLA campus are another point where some
students see improvement possibilities.
“I think there’s not enough (bins). I end up
carrying my trash across campus,” said Love.
Some students do not feel the lack of recycling bins is the
problem, but rather those who choose not to use them.
The separation of the recycling bins into different components,
such as aluminum, plastic and paper, seems to be one part of the
problem. Many students said sorting trash is inconvenient.
“I see a lot of people hesitating, and they end up tossing
their trash into the garbage cans,” said Teng.
Some students leave their trash in the recycling bins rather
than putting them into the proper waste container, said Ryan Eagle,
a third-year physics student.
“I don’t see why people don’t pay
attention,” he added.
Even with the recycling problems on campus, a lot of students
find themselves recycling more often around UCLA than at home.
“We don’t have facilities at home, so I mainly
recycle on campus … I like to recycle whenever I can,” said
Karly Bulnes, a fourth-year history student.