Eco-Action plants seed for expanded recycling

By TERRY WARD
Collegian Staff Writer

Like a string tied to a forgetful finger, cloth ribbons tied to 415 trees across campus yesterday served to remind the University community of an important recycling fact.

Members of Eco-Action kicked off Tree Week by using the cloth markers to represent the number of trees that could be saved in one week if the University switched to using all recycled paper.

While recycling bins are set up in virtually all campus buildings, the use of virgin paper far outweighs the use of recycled paper at the University. While recycled paper can sometimes be slightly more expensive to purchase, cost is not the only reason it is less popular.

Recycled paper does not have the crisp, white appearance of virgin paper and often people do not buy it "because it's not as pretty," said Eco-Action member Dan Felitsky (sophomore-molecular cell biology). The difference in shade has no effects on performance, he said.

"There is no difference in quality," he said.

The University's principal supplier of paper products, General Stores, has both recycled and virgin paper "on the shelf and readily available," said Kevin Stahl, a buyer for the University. "What you have basically is an internal decision at the departmental level as to which paper they'll use."

Eco-Action is striving to bring the importance of closing the recycling loop to the University's attention.

"It just takes a second to throw paper into the recycling bins," said Travis D'Antonio (senior-administration of justice). However, the loop is only closed when that paper is reused as a recycled product.

"We haven't made a loop," said Jan Snyder, Eco-Action coordinator of the Buy Recycled Campaign. "People put paper in the bins, but then they don't buy it."

The University has been open to Eco-Action's suggestions of different paper suppliers that sell recycled paper at lower costs, Snyder said. Cost is one of the biggest issues in purchasing recycled paper.

Eco-Action recently made a deal with the University that all future publications by Penn State Press will be printed on recycled paper, Snyder said.

In honor of Tree Week, Eco-Action also presented yesterday a street theater version of the book The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. The group also has plans to get students to sign petitions throughout the week urging the University to buy recycled paper.

"We want to get everybody talking about it," Snyder said. "We want the University to make a policy that they will only buy recycled paper."