With the assistance of students and faculty, Gettysburg College is beginning to implement more plastic waste mitigation practices on campus to support both the local and global environment as well as ecosystems worldwide. There are plenty of effective ways in which we can attack this major pollutants issue so it does not continue to harm humans and wildlife.

Why do we use plastic?

Ever since the creation of plastic, there has been a gradual increase in its production to this day. Why? Plastic provides a cheap alternative to other more expensive materials and is effective due to its durability. Despite the benefits of plastic, there are several reasons why we should try to use other more sustainable materials to protect our environment and communities worldwide.

Gettysburg’s Efforts Towards Reducing Plastic

Gettysburg College provides single-stream recycling opportunities for the entire campus, has installed 50 bottle refill stations, and departing students are able to donate reusable items for the Give It Up for Good Sale. This sale has prevented 420 tons of material from entering the waste stream (Sustainability at Gettysburg, 2021). There is also a charge for plastic bags at dining areas such as the Bullet Hole to reduce single-use plastics. Campuses all over the U.S. have started making changes to reduce their use of plastic and there has been a lot of success. Gettysburg has made significant strides in the right direction but more can be done to have a greater impact.

Single-Use Plastics…What Are They and How Can We Reduce Our Usage?

Single-use plastics are created from fossil fuels and are anything made of plastic that is thrown out after it is used. Most people use them every single day and when it comes to reducing plastics a change in everyday habits is a perfect place to start. When I was able to have a conversation with ecology professor Natasha Gownaris about how college students can do their part at reducing plastic she said we need to “Reduce single-use plastic like plastic utensils and water bottles, make more sustainable seafood decisions, participate in beach cleanups, and recycle.”