Rapidly, recycling has become a popular trend at most college campuses around the country.

And that includes our very own American International College, which continues to make environmental strides.

This semester, students and faculty members can see as they walk around campus the standard-sized blue recycling bins located next to each black trash can.

Here at AIC, our students feel every passionate about recycling and the harmful things that waste and other harmful chemicals are doing to our campus and our environment.

Freshman student Ciana Belton says that overall, she likes what she sees.

“I believe that in this day and age, as the environment continues to suffer for our benefit, that as people we need to work together,” Belton said.

Little things such as recycling bins are one of the few things that the students, staff, and faculty of AIC do to try and help save the beautiful campus in which students, professors, and staff work and reside.

Three recycle bins can be found here on campus.

The first one is located is located on the left side of the Student Accounts building along with a regular black trash can. The second location of the recycling duo is right in front of the Campus Center. The last and final recycle and trash bins are located in front of the James J. Shea Memorial Library.

All three of these locations come in handy every day for all that are associated with AIC. These are used on the way to class, events, or even on the way back to a student’s dorm. In addition to these bins being used by the AIC family, they are used by the community too, since AIC is both a unique mix of both a public space and private college.

Instead of littering and contributing to the waste that is rapidly growing worldwide, the AIC community is using the wastebaskets that are available here on campus while they walk around it.

The environmental wastebaskets around campus is not the only way that AIC attributes to making the Earth a better place to be.

Another thing that AIC students have done is host an event called Action in Community Clean UP.

During this event, students along with their resident assistants go around the surrounding community and rake up leaves. This event helps clean up the neighborhood and it helps to make the members of the neighborhood and the community live in a better environment.

This year, the Action in Community Clean UP takes place on Sunday, October 18^th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will be sponsored by the Maintenance Department. The meeting location will be outside of the dining commons.

While not all students are a part of IMPACT, but that does not stop the availability for those for actually love and want to help clean up the community through means of recycling.

Another fellow freshman student expressed his excitement on attending the event, saying “I didn’t even know that you could join this event, I thought it was only for members of IMPACT. I’m excited to be able to go and enjoy this clean up!”

Another way members of the AIC community have contributed to the cause is the fact that professors are requiring that students use less and less paper for assignments.

Many professors can assign tests that will have to be taken online digitally. That also applies to reports, homework assignments and essays that are now assigned to be digitally done through the means of a site called Blackboard Learn.

The increased usage of Blackboard by students and faculty members means there’s less of a reason for students to go out and print things for class, wasting ink and paper that can be saved.

According to Recyclingfacts.org: “Everyone creates about 4.7 pounds of waste every day, and in the United States 33.4% of solid waste is either recycled or composted.”

These facts are said to be in extremely high numbers, but with the hard work and dedication here at AIC to make the campus a better and cleaner place, those numbers and statistics will diminish.

Now, it’s up to you. Will you take the opportunity and advantages around you as a member of AIC or will you stand around and be the wasp that creates the waste?