Earth-friendly general store see News a3
Bringing Bikes Back to Life see A&E c1
Recycle for Relief and How Green is ODU?
Mace Crown VOL. 52, ISSUE 9 | NOVEMBER 3 , 2010
see center spread
Student newspaper of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, since 1930
www.maceandcrown.com
Don’t be trashy, 5 Ways that YOU can go GREEN! Recycle! by Alyssa
B
Narvell Staff Writer
eing ‘earth-conscious’ is extremely important. Recycling can benefit you and your environment. The world is our home, so why shouldn’t we take care of it? Usually when students get bothersome comments from bystanders or friends such as, “You should recycle that plastic bottle,” they just slough it off and go on their way, right after they toss their plastic bottle into a normal trash can, or maybe even the ground. Or maybe you leave your sink water running as you brush your teeth without thinking about the gallons of water you are wasting. Even though being eco-friendly sounds like a waste of time and not important, it’s the complete opposite. You might be thinking, “I’m too busy with school and work and don’t need to be worrying about the silly environment.” Well the best thing is, that being eco-friendly is extremely simple and doesn’t take much time at all. What are some effortless and quick ways that you, as a student, can save the environment? Well, let me enlighten you:
First thing is RECYCLE! There are so many items that can be recycled. Items such as old electronics, glass, plastic, aluminum, paper and metal can all be recycled. Even hazardous materials such as batteries, paint and motor oil can and should be recycled to avoid causing harm to our groundwater. What you can do is set aside a designated trashcan for your recyclable items and take those items to a nearby recycling drop-off location once it is full. You might even get some money for bringing in aluminum cans to the nearby recycling center! Also, ODU has blue trashcans all around campus designated for recyclable items. So use them! Take advantage of renting textbooks! By renting used and new textbooks, it decreases the amount of demand for new printed books. Books use numerous amounts of paper, ink and money. This is a simple way to save those trees. Use refillable water bottles instead of plastic bottles. A lot of energy is required to produce plastic water bottles. Also, a significant amount of energy is consumed to fill them with water and then transport them to the shelves of retailers. Reusing plastic bottles is unhealthy, due to bacteria and other toxins building up inside of them. Yes, refillable sports bottles do take energy to produce, but they are safe for repeated use. Instead of burning energy to create a product that can only be used once, the process of making refillable water bottles can reduce the need for producing so many disposable containers. Buy in bulk! By buying your items in bulk, you can save our earth by eliminating individual packaging on multiple products. Buying items at a bulk food store can also save you trips. Some bulk stores, such as Sam’s Club and Cosco, even allow you to bring your own bags and containers to purchase your items, which also eliminates the production and use of plastic bags. When you’re not using anything water or electrical-related in your humble abode, turn it off! Why leave your sink running while you’re busy brushing your teeth? Why leave your shower head running on full blast while you’re underneath it just staring aimlessly off into space thinking about what you’re going to eat for tomorrow’s breakfast? Well, there’s no point. By carelessly running your water, you’re wasting gallons and gallons of it. Also, you’re wasting money. Same concept applies with lights and electronics. They all eat up large amounts of energy. Turn your lamps off when you’re not in the room, and switch off your televisions when no one is watching them. It will save electricity and save you money. So be resourceful when using water and electricity. Going green is the most efficient way that we can help improve our environment. Recycle, reduce and reuse is the best policy. So be friendly to Mother Nature, and start going green by recycling this newspaper when you’re done reading it!