21/02/14 –

Although I complain, my recycling predicament has been worse: recycling from student accommodation that looked and felt like a prison but – I am reliably informed cost marginally less per week …

On moving into first year student halls I had the somewhat naive view that recycling would be a given. I think this was based on some half considered idea that art students were bohemian and bohemians at least pretended to be eco warriors some of the time. I also possessed a perhaps out of date conception that students in general were the radical demonstrating sort that stood up for stuff like maybe the earth that supported them. My misplaced optimism was soon expelled.

After doing a quick recce of the kitchen, the courtyard and the bin shelters I talked to the nice lady at the reception about where I could recycle. She politely but firmly told me that they had tried to set up a recycling bin but students had just used it as if it was an ordinary bin so there had been no point. She then informed me of the closest recycling center which was across a motorway, through a bad part of town and came to all round trip of just over 1.7 miles (yes I worked it out on google maps).

After relaying this information to my new housemates I quickly realised that no one else was remotely bothered and resigned myself to just binning. Every time I binned a painstakingly rinsed out (force of habit) tin can I felt like a guilty cartoon character. Faces and voices floated around my head tutting and nudging each other – “she knows better”, “she’s all talk”, “why is she still rinsing out tin cans?”

It wasn’t okay.

It was just really sad that all these well-educated, westernised, middle class lot who had every opportunity to make an informed decision couldn’t conceive of why the small gesture that is recycling – might be even a little bit important.

Sure they want to trek to Machu Picchu and catch waves in Australia, all the while marvelling at the earth’s natural beauty but they can’t seem to grasp the not so tenuous connection between environmentally respectful behaviour and the big fragile earth they are all so keen on seeing. I am not suggesting for a moment that painstakingly rising out tin cans is the answer, but it is an answer, one of many little answers that may or may not help to sustain life.

On the topic of may or may not, this guy explains why you may aswell care – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zORv8wwiadQ