Two gallons of spilled milk splattered down the sidewalk, forming a moldy river of doom down to the sewage gutter: a mid-bulking season gym bro abandoned his groceries. The litter on Grand Canyon University’s campus never ceases to surprise me. Although most report the campus as being clean and spacious, there is always room for improvement.
Environmental Science major Maddie has observed some faults, “The trash can smell bad in certain areas; especially around Lopes Way and the parking garages.”
This is relevant for GCU employees who work hard to keep the campus clean. I’ve seen how quickly trash cans get filled up throughout the day, overflowing with wrappers and water bottles. There’s even an employee who collects recyclable items each week all around campus. To continue to support these employees and maintain a clean environment, here are four unconventional ways to reduce waste.
Reuse utensils
Keep those plastic forks, knives, and spoons after you’ve used them. This may sound gross to some, but if you wash the utensil and carry it in a clean plastic bag, it’s as good as new. I would use mine three to four times (and wash the utensil in between each use) before throwing it away. This helps slow individual daily waste.
Taco Bell Wrapping Paper
I do not know a single college student who owns wrapping paper. Taco Bell and other restaurants on campus have extremely convenient vessels for any present. If you don’t mind looking cheap (or resourceful, depending on how you look at it), try collecting the free bags to wrap gifts in. Taco Bell is a great option for small gifts. The paper they wrap tacos in is similar in shape and texture to actual wrapping paper.
Pick-Up tally Game
When I walk around campus and see trash that is not too gross to throw in the bin, I pick it up and throw it away. I don’t guilt trip myself if I don’t pick up trash on campus. I can hear a voice in the back of my mind saying, “That’s the point of the employee’s job!” I get that. It’s just something nice to do. I keep a mental tally of how many pieces I’ve picked up for the day. My impressive high record is two. It’s not much at all, but it’s better than zero. Imagine if the entire student body of over 25,000 people picked up one to two pieces of trash daily!
Arts and Crafts
Old school notes and paper can be turned into jewelry. If you’re a Taylor Swift fan, you can learn how to make a paper ring here. You can also make little origami boxes to put gifts in here. I made sure that these videos are user-friendly because I suck at origami.
I hope these tips spur creative ways to reduce waste. I don’t think reducing waste can be solved by telling people to “just stop littering.” There’s much more involved, so why not make it fun along the way?