Finding a new way to pitch in

 

It’s a common sight to find pop cans, water bottles and paper products, which rightly belong in recycling bins, strewn about the campus, often on its greenest sections – the north and south pathways along the UC hill, for example.
The cost of setting up and servicing dual sets of bins outdoors can be quite high, perhaps prohibitively so, and few among us are dedicated enough to carry recyclables with us until a suitable bin is located.
The problem can be exacerbated on weekends when many buildings are closed. One affordable solution worth considering is a split-lid which, in effect, can separate recyclables from trash in most commonly used garbage bins (www.ecolotop.ca). There might be other devices, too. The EcoloTop, incidentally, was designed by a former post-doc at Western, and it is being tried around Quebec City and other places.

Kul Bhatia
Department of Economics