Eco Team puts focus on the environment
The Skip the Straw initiative is a movement focussing on minimizing the damage done to the environment by discarded straws. Photo by aramark.com
In April, HPU was named a Tree Campus USA for the 10th year in a row. Photo by highpoint.edu
By Julie Burkett
Organizations Editor
The Eco Team, formerly known as the HPU Green Team, made a big splash on campus last semester with their Earth Day fair. The fair included art made from the trash of High Point University students and information about how to be more environmentally conscious.
The Eco Team told people about the importance of minimizing straw use on campus, which type of campus trash is recyclable, and how to limit your electricity use on campus. Last semester the Eco Team planted trees along the greenway and off campus, which further solidifies HPU’s position as one of the few colleges to be officially recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation for more than 10 years in a row.
The Eco Team plans to continue its previous efforts this semester, planting more trees and planning the next Earth Day Fair.
The Eco Team is starting a new petition to remove the plastic High Point University water bottles that are given out at the kiosks, as many of these bottles are being thrown away instead of recycled. These single use plastic bottles can be recycled or avoided all together.
Olivia Waterman, High Point University junior and current president of the green team gives details as to why this movement is important to High Point University’s impact on the future.
“Last semester we took a look at the trash inside trash bins around campus,” Waterman explained. “One thing really stood out. There was an absurd amount of HPU water bottles. When I say HPU water bottles I am not talking about the aluminum, reusable ones sold in the book store or given to students for free. We’re talking about plastic, single use water bottles, the ones that usually have fun labels that change frequently based on current campus events.“
It was the prevalence of these bottles in trash cans around campus that motivated the Eco Team to campaign for them to be banned.
“It might seem as though it’s just one bottle a day, but multiply that by the number of students on campus and we have a problem,” stated Waterman.
Waterman argues that the bottles are unnecessary because each building on campus has a water bottle fill station, and since students receive free water bottles, she believes the change should not change students’ lives too much.
This water bottle petition will be accompanied by an off-campus clean up effort that will involve collecting trash and planting more trees on and off campus.
The Eco Team serves as a way to get involved in the community on and off campus. Students who are interested in finding a social circle of like minded people while working to make environmental change may enjoy joining the Eco Team.