Littering and Paper Wasting in the University of California - Essay Example

Insert The Problem Littering and paper wasting is perhaps one of the major challenges/ problems the of CaliforniaRiverside Campus has to contend with on an hourly basis. Students, lecturers, university staff and visitors are all culpable in the untold littering that is evident in the campus with no such thing as a littering group in existence (persons from all social groups, ages and gender have been observed littering the compound). The areas of the campus that are most often littered include venues holding special events (in which a lot of papers, such as program papers, are circulated and enormous waste produced hence), around lecture halls, libraries and reading areas. Areas around notice boards are also vulnerable to a lot of littering especially when poster papers fall off or are deliberately/ accidentally pulled down by students. Careful observation of the campus population reveals that different people litter for various reasons. For one, most persons who do the littering usually feel that the have no sense of ownership or responsibility of the campus, and so its state becomes of little concern to them (Dasmann, 34). In addition, such people often argue that even if they litter around there are those employed to specifically pick up the litter and clean after them. Many would, in this wavelength, cite the fees they pay for maintenance and the consequent budgeting by the university to consider such things as the cleanliness of the campus as a reason for neglecting their environmental duties. Others more simply litter since there is already litter everywhere else, and are adhering to a set trend, while other still, litter because they have too many papers on them at the time (Dasmann, 35). Members of the campus community also litter when they aim at a garbage can, miss it and out of laziness decide not to pick up the straying litter. A huge portion of litter in the campus also comes from canteens and food joints in the campus. However prominent, paper waste is not the only form of littering seen around campus. Soda cans, beer bottles, cigarette butts, plastic bags, coffee cups and other such items equally commonly make up this list. In most cases, litter does not remain confined in one place (origin) as it can always move, thus escalating the problem. Litter from the campus often finds its way into the surrounding community, and vice-versa. Weather, wind and animals help move litter into planted gardens, waterways, parking lots, and so on, causing pollution in their wake. Litter can also create health risks by polluting the environment from which mankind obtains food, water and air to breathe while also considerably impacting negatively on agricultural production (Flawn, 24). Litter attracts more litter, and in the end, litter can cause fires (such as from accumulated paper and cigarette butts), can injure or kill animals (who may consume them or through contaminated water masses) an unpalatably spends up capital in ensuring it is cleaned up or in treating its effects such as sanitary diseases. Littering thus hurts everyone in campus and in the community, even those who do not litter. Moreover, a littered school creates a poor impression on a visitor or potential students (Flawn, 27). In the end, the appeal of the campus fades away and the school deemed inferior and unorganized, compared to other clean and well maintained campuses. Because of these and other reasons, it is important to find lasting solutions to this litter problem that has so ceaselessly plagued the Riverside campus over the years. The Solution There are a number of combined approaches that if effectively applied will compliment each other and ensure littering in the campus is a problem of the past. One approach alone cannot sufficiently tackle the problem of waste around the Riverside campus, therefore, these solutions must be applied together to elicit the desired outcomes. Tackling the litter menace requires the participation of a wide range of people and a permanent (long-term) program. Short-term campaigns can evoke some results for a given time but if they are not sustained, the problem of littering will most certainly re-occur (Ghimire, 65). Tackling the litter problem must begin right at the top of management to the freshman student, the worker, and the neighboring communities. The first and the most important step in solving this problem is to offer an education to everyone in and around the campus on the effects littering portends on the global environment, their health and finances, since most people who litter are often ignorant of the damage they are causing. Likewise, activities aimed at enhancing such awareness are critical. These can include newsletters, photographic displays, posters, public presentations, and so on. Such education campaigns should be geared towards ensuring that the campus community appreciate and understand how the problem of littering starts and ends with each individual. In this light, every person must endeavor to set a good example to others by doing such things that minimize littering as having litter bags in their vehicles, being humble and picking up litter when they encounter any, carrying and using ashtrays (for smokers), and so on. Motorists are not to throw litter from their vehicles and smokers are urged to encourage their fellow smokers to engage in such safe practices as the use of ashtrays (Hambler, 90). The community should be educated on the importance of a healthy environment, while campus event organizers are to be tasked with ensuring their events are waste free with sufficient and accessible trash cans located at essential points. Using a newly institute campus green team, business owners are to be asked to provide trash cans in front of their premises with ‘Please Do Not Litter’ signs and to daily check their dumpsters to ensure that they are in sound condition. In addition, their loading docks are to be kept clean. This proposed green team will be composed of students, lecturers and campus staff and will often come up with ideas and actions that ensure the school is not littered. Furthermore, this team will be critical in ensuring these measures are continued year after year as new members will be joining from the freshmen groups, hence sustaining success and ensuring continuity. Since research has also shown that beautiful places are less vulnerable to littering, this team will also be tasked with beautifying the campus with trees, laws and flowers. Regular community clean ups will also form part of the objectives for this team (Tisdell, 142). Students will be asked to inculcate within themselves the culture of properly disposing of litter and a sense of pride in their campus instilled in them so that they appreciate the need to remain clean and take responsibility of the state of their campus. The campus administration, on its end, is to ensure provision of well designed, suitably located and sufficient garbage cans while encouraging the use of reusable containers especially at food joints. The administration ought to embark on the use of social media and/ or electronic mail to communicate with students and hence do away with the use of papers in communicating information. Sharing information electronically will not only reduce littering but will save money spent on papers and hence conserve the environment by reducing the number of trees felled for the production of paper (Tisdell, 143). This will be a win-win situation for the administration, the campus, the environment and all players concerned. In addition, if a student is found littering, they are asked nicely to pick up the litter and dispose of them. The campus community must therefore be vigilant to ensure that no one goes against these rules, with the administration instituting punitive measures to deal with non-compliant persons. The punishments can include fines, mandatory trash duties, and so on (Calhoun, 78). The administration can further increase surveillance on the matter by installing cameras in critical (notorious) places. Recycling endeavors must equally be promoted by the administration, for example, by marking out places meant for recycling. There should also be a tracking system that monitors the progress being made in this front alongside end year celebrations that recognize the efforts and effects of these efforts in tackling littering (Calhoun, 80). If all these proposals are taken into consideration and implemented competently, there is no doubt that the issue of littering, and its effects shall be history. Moreover, news of our dedication and commitment top environmental conservation will reach other areas of the world, prompting emulation and enhancement of our approaches so that in the end the world is made a better place for our generation and those to come after us. Works Cited Calhoun, Yael. Conservation. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2005; 78, 80. Print. Dasmann, Raymond Fredric. Environmental Conservation. 2d ed. New York: Wiley, 1968; 34, 35. Print. Flawn, Peter Tyrell. Environmental Geology: Conservation, Land-use Planning, and Resource Management. New York: Harper & Row, 1970; 24, 27. Print. Ghimire, Krishna. Social Change and Conservation: Environmental Politics and Impacts of National Parks and Protected Areas. London: Earthscan Publications, 1997; 65. Print. Hambler, Clive. Conservation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2004; 90. Print. Tisdell, C. A. Economics of Environmental Conservation. 2nd ed. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Pub., 2005; 142, 143. Print. Read More