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Trash talk: Credit: Mordechai Treiger

Part of the 2010 RecycleMania efforts, Wednesday’s “Trash Talk” panel featured Penn and Philadelphia representatives speaking about sustainability efforts.

Recycling is important because it conserves natural resources and saves money, said Commissioner Clarena Tolson, a Philadelphia representative.

Two recycling initiatives that Philadelphia is encouraging at Penn are the Philadelphia Recycling Rewards Programs — which provides an incentive to recycle by setting up a point system for recycling which can be redeemed for money — and Philly Goes Green, an initiative to increase recycling around the city, Tolson said.

Penn has helped to boost recycling rates on campus by adding blue liners to the recycling containers and preparing to conduct a survey for building administrators about making recycling easier for people. The University is also standardizing all recycling containers around campus, Executive Director of Operations Maintenance Ken Ogawa said.

Additionally, the University has increased sustainability efforts by shifting the focus of Purchasing Services to recycling, according to Director of Purchasing Services Joann Murphy.

Purchasing Services reduced paper consumption from 24,000 cases to 21,000 last year by buying more environmentally friendly products, buying in bulk and encouraging people to print less, Murphy said.

Other University initiatives include a contract to provide Penn with sustainable water filters, according to Murphy.

Beginning this year, Penn Dining collaborated with the Wilmington Organic Recycling Center to decrease the amount of waste taken to the landfill.

There are labeled containers in the dining halls for compost, trash and recycling, according to Director of Penn Dining Laurie Cousart.

“So it is really your choice on what you buy and how you choose to dispose of them,” Cousart said.

Penn students are also very engaged in recycling because it is such “a big part of everyday life,” said Director of Housing, Sustainability and Facilities for the Undergraduate Assembly Dan Sanchez, an Engineering senior.

Sanchez discussed the UA’s two major initiatives to encourage recycling — the implementation of two recycling bins in every Fisher-Hassenfeld College House room and the Green Event Checklist, a list of recommendations that help the student body become more sustainable.

“I think it was extremely informative. I have been involved with recycling at Penn for a while but this answered a lot of the questions I still had,” Penn Environmental Group Co-Chair and College sophomore Ashima Sukhdev said.

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