As an international student from Alabama, the transition to PennLife (soon to be copyrighted by the University) was a tricky one. However, the toughest adjustment was neither the cold weather nor the lack of camouflage pick-up trucks. Nope, not even in-door plumbing.
The true uncharted territory was recycling.
As the 48th greenest state in the nation, ‘Bama is not exactly known for it’s environmental awareness. In short, we don’t have recycling bins. For us, it is one of those inconvenient practices suggested by elementary and junior high school teachers but generally ignored by students. You know, like avoiding fast food or abstaining from sex.
Recycle Mania at Penn’s motto is “Stop. Think. Recycle.” Southerners have a problem with the second step. Especially after a rewarding meal of freshly-slaughtered game. And the mystifying labels on the recycling bins don’t make it any easier.
Glass. Drink Cans. Mixed Paper. Trash. Where do bottled drinks go? What about a pizza box with pepperoni remnants? And what the hell is mixed paper? (Personally, I envision a bowl full of small pieces of printer paper in various pastels.)
I typically stare at the receptacles blankly for several minutes. Eventually, I will close my eyes and toss the waste haphazardly at the line of bins. I imagine a grisly trash man cursing my existence as he pulls my cheesy pizza box out of the glass pile.
Apparently my problem isn’t isolated, however, as Penn lags behind many peer institutions in percentage of waste recycled. Perhaps campus recycling organizations need to concentrate on educating those of us who are not lazy, just confused.
Tags: Alabama, grisly trash men, recycling
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January 22nd, 2008 at 7:23 pm
wit like this is hard to cum by
January 22nd, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Funny piece. Excellent use of links!
January 22nd, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Haha, I thought I was the only one with this problem.
Glad you addressed the fact that you’re not lazy, just confused. I feel that way as well.
Hilarious links. Alabama, wow.
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:10 pm
As an Alabamian still residing in the Heart of Dixie I must take exception to your column. We DO have recycling bins here in your home town and they are so popular that I have driven around with cardboard boxes in my vehicle for weeks waiting for a space to open up in one. I would have expected the “overcrowding” problem to lead to additional recycling receptacles but alas, the problem of people leaving their cardboard boxes outside of the full receptacle led to the removal of the only one within a 5 mile radius of my home. Okay, I guess you’re right. We don’t have them.
Good column.
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:22 am
I too am from Alabama, and I am also one of the biggest advocates of recycling at Penn! Back home in bama, there is WEEKLY recycling pick-up in my town. I agree, it probably is the 48th greenest state in the U.S., but recycling really isn’t that hard; have you ever thought of asking your neighbor or roommate? Or are you too embarrassed that you never learned how to recycle? I hear your constructive criticism that some people just don’t know how to recycle, but it’s not hard to figure it out, if you take a little time to find some answers.
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Obviously recycling wasn’t difficult for you since you just had to place your items out front. However, what about the more rural areas of Alabama that are not graced with this easy pick-up service?
Evidently the writer isn’t too embarrassed since he publicly posted this blog with his name and photo alongside it.
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Joe confuses me. Must be from Mississippi.