Recycling: Coming to a Community Near You

Just a few years ago, you'd be hard-pressed to find a recycling bin around anywhere - maybe there was one on campus, or a few here and there, but today, they seem to be popping up in more and more locations, like in nearly all of the large student apartment complexes surrounding campus. Recycling is gaining more and more attention these days because it's an easy way to be environmentally conscious in everyday life. Recycling reduces waste, reducing the amount of potentially reusable goods that end up in landfills and promoting sustainability. If they end up in landfills, many recyclable items (such as plastic soda bottles and grocery bags) take over 100 years to biodegrade, and in doing so leach harmful chemicals into the soil and ground water. As the population of the Tampa Bay area continues to grow, it will become more and more important to recycle and reuse as much as possible, to avoid having to create new landfills that are unsightly and unhealthy for all of us. While we found this recycling dumpster at a local apartment complex, there are many others around, including many in the residential areas of USF. Recycling bins can also be found in nearly all the buildings on campus alongside the regular trash cans, to encourage the USF community to always recycle, not just at home. At USF, recycling is available for cans, bottles, paper, plastic bags, and even cardboard. Protecting the environment is an essential part of protecting public health in our communities - a small thing that has a huge impact.

Allison Castro

Marnisha James

Gus Melendez (photographing)