Buff State should start composting waste

Environmental sustainability is becoming something of importance to consumers. There has been more and more demand for businesses to take measures to ensure their waste products are disposed of with regards to the health of the environment. Buffalo State, however, seems to be lagging behind the environmentalist bandwagon.

Every morning I go to the new Spot Coffee located in the student union and order a small coffee. I try to remember my plastic mug but I sometimes forget and must resort to the standard disposable cup.

After I get my coffee, I have to put about a ton of sugar in it, of course. But instead of providing a reusable canister full of sugar, as many coffee places now have, I go through about 10 little paper packets.

This is a huge waste of paper, and a terribly inefficient way to put sugar in my coffee. I feel guilty enough going through 10 packets for one coffee, and I feel all the more guilty because the only (convenient) place on Buffalo State campus to put the empty packets is the garbage can. Same with the wooden stirring sticks. Why can't we replace the garbage bin with a composting bin?

Composting is a term used to describe naturally turning organic material into a dark substance called "humus," which provides nutrients to soil. Some companies are using organic, paper packaging products rather than plastic, because the organic products are much more biodegradable and able to be composted. Bacteria, other microbes, and worms break down the organic matter into humus. Composting is usually done in small amounts, and the area must be maintained and closed off from animals. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the compostable materials are placed on the ground, and must be turned every so often to add oxygen. Some factors that must be considered in the composting process are temperature, the ph of the material, moisture content, and oxygen content.

Pretty much anyone can compost in their backyard, but doing it on a larger scale requires more work than putting waste in a landfill, which is why composting is still relatively infrequently used for businesses.

We don't need all of the giant garbage bins in the cafeteria, and it would be nice to see recycling and composting bins replace them. All the plastic food containers and plastic utensils can be recycled. All of the greasy pizza boxes, napkins and paper bags can be composted (or at least some of it). Or better yet, serving food on reusable dishware can prevent a lot of waste. So what is the hold up?

I believe the obstacle is a lack of money and lack of demand from students and faculty. Unfortunately, it is more expensive to recycle and compost than it is to just throw everything in the garbage can. After all, once the garbage is out of sight, it's out of mind, right? According to Learner.org, the average American generates about 4.5 pounds of solid waste each day, about 230 million tons of collective trash per day, and it is estimated that about 70 percent of that waste can be recycled.

This amount of waste is being produced faster than nature can break it down. There is only so much room on this planet, and no one wants waste in their backyard (something many of us WNY residents can't avoid).

But students have already been lectured. They are aware recycling is a better option and that landfills are filling up fast.

The only thing that is going to get people to recycle or compost is if it is made convenient for them. If recycling bins are placed around the cafeteria, students will use them.

If students have to wander around campus for an hour to find someplace to recycle their plastic food container, they are going to end up getting frustrated and putting it in the garbage. It's as simple as that.

I try to avoid buying food that comes along with a ton of plastic on campus, but sometimes I have no other option. If the vendor insists that my food come with all that plastic, Buffalo State should at least provide a recycling bin for me to deposit it in. And since morning coffee is a must, a good step for Buffalo State would be providing recycling bins at each cafe, and maybe investing in reusable sugar canisters.

An interesting read about how composting works, and how to do it: http://organiclifestyles.tamu.edu/compost/home_composting_faq.pdf

Ariel Peters can be reached by email at peters.record@live.com.