Students lead Penn recycling efforts

Monday's commemoration of Earth Day stood in stark contrast to last weekend's carefree celebration of Spring Fling -- especially from an environmental perspective. Despite the numerous garbage cans set up around Hill Field and the Quadrangle, beer bottles, plastic bags, paper and other trash littered the campus as Fling came to an end. Although many students seemed to ignore attempts to keep the grounds clean last weekend, some have commended the University for its efforts to promote recycling on campus. "I think Penn actually does a good job of recycling," Nursing sophomore Martha Narling said recently. But others doubt the University's commitment to recycling and question the efficiency of its recycling program. "Though recycling has become more available on campus, it's underused because people are skeptical that the University is actually recycling," College senior Joan Kim said. According to College sophomore Vince Mukkada, who edits the University's environmentally focused publication Green Times, the University recycles more than 50 tons of paper and three tons of glass, plastic and cans each week. That makes up 30 percent of the University's garbage output and exceeds the state-mandated minimum of 25 percent, according to Al Palanti, who supervises the University's recycling programs. "The 30 percent that Penn recycles reflects the program's headway since its start six years ago. Of course the University could recycle more," College sophomore Deanna Cheung said. "But after looking into the program, I came to realize that student participation is key to increasing Penn's recycling output." With a recycling level well above the national average of 17 percent, the University is the "top institutional recycler in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," Palanti said. The University initiated the recycling program in 1990 when the Pennsylvania State Legislature passed the 101 Act, requiring businesses and institutions in Pennsylvania to recycle 25 percent of their waste by 1997. Palanti was hired to supervise the project. "Al Palanti is recycling, and the increasing success of the program is due to him and the people who work for and support him," said first-year Medical student Gwen Lech. "I have never met an administrator here that is more responsive and supportive than Al Palanti." The amount of garbage that the University recycles has increased from 100,000 pounds in all of 1990 to 100,000 pounds each week this year, according to Lech. Despite statistics that characterize the University as a top institutional recycler, most Penn students do not recycle -- even though there are plenty of facilities that allow them to do so.