During the week of March 30, student organizations at the University of Maryland decorated dumpsters on campus to promote sustainability practices — and the dumpsters have never looked better.
This annual dumpster painting initiative is a partnership between the Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life and the Office of Sustainability’s Green Chapter program. Greek life and professional organizations collaborated to design and implement painted dumpsters on and off campus.
Epsilon Eta, the University of Maryland’s co-ed professional environmental fraternity, was one of the many organizations at the event. Painting a “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” design with bright colors and patterns, they hope to promote the importance of recycling and its rippling effects on the environment
“I think that anything that catches people’s eye will always prompt questions,” said Elana Naide, senior atmospheric oceanic science major, member of Epsilon Eta and intern at the Office of Sustainability. “I think it sparks more of a conversation.”
Greek Sorority Delta Gamma and Latina-based Sorority Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. were also two of the seven organizations in attendance. Each dumpster section is uniquely embellished with various designs promoting recycling, saving the ocean, and protecting the environment, topped with brightly colored illustrations and patterns to attract student attention.
“I think that there’s a stigma behind the dirtiness of these dumpster bins, and I think that [the paintings will] make people more inclined to recycle,” said Katerina Lithotomos, a sophomore environmental science and technology major and Delta Gamma’s sustainability chair.
In addition to promoting sustainability, the project helps to boost bonding throughout the different organizations and their connection to the University of Maryland community as a whole.
“It’s a good opportunity to show that, even though we might seem so different as organizations, we all have a common cause in mind,” said Lesile Herrera-Cruz, a sophomore civil and environmental engineering major and a member of Sigma Iota Alpha.
Be on the lookout for the dumpsters’ colorful designs, they are already scattered throughout College Park.