Denison University’s Green Team promotes aluminium can usage instead of plastic bottle

Denison University’s Green Team currently pledged to switch plastic bottles with 100% recyclable aluminium cans in The Nest and Slayter Market. The team aspires to curtail plastic waste from the University campus by reconstructing their dining practices so that there is ample space for sustainable approaches.

This will all coincide with Denison University’s updated recycling drive. On a broader scale, the Denison community is extremely supportive of the University’s sustainable programme. The Green Team has initiated an attestable petition on Change.org, with the tagline, “Letter of Support for Aluminum Cans,” which has successfully acquired 486 signatures out of 500 by February 5 this year. The filled petition has received immense support in the mode of donations and comments from the eco-conscious community.

Studies and practical analogy have revealed that not all plastic is recyclable without the potential of releasing hazardous gas into the atmosphere. The Denison University’s Campus Sustainability Committee temporarily halted the recycling of plastic in late October 2022 after they became aware of the lingering effects of plastic recycling. The in-house University organisation now has inferred that aluminium cans are a better sustainable option keeping the environmental agenda in mind. Moreover, aluminium can be infinitely recycled, forming a circular economy which is quite impossible in the case of plastic.

A new study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has confirmed that less than 10% of the plastic already in the international industry loop has been recycled into usable raw materials. Plastic waste is a growing concern for our environment’s safety, and it has been claimed since 2000, the rate of plastic waste on the planet has increased on a massive scale, with 22% diverted to untamed dumping grounds, burnt in open pits and the emissions of their harmful gases leaked into the atmosphere.

The Green Team is now engaged in constituting a written resolution for the DCGA Senate, enclosing a petition letter from the Dining Committee and the student community to better explain the harms of plastic waste.

One of the Green Team members, Charlotte Meyers, commented: “Last Thursday we gathered everyone from Green Team and went around, asking people to sign [the petition]. I am excited because our next step is to go to DCGA and write the resolution.”

Denison’s Green Team has toppled the hurdles to set themselves as a concerned set of citizens with an optimistic overview of the world. Their neighbouring communities have acknowledged them, and by following their sustainability drives, they are going to set an example for the region. The transformation to aluminium cans will inspire many similar initiatives around Ohio State and might help negate plastic use in the near future.