This editorial reflects the general opinion of The Spectator staff. 

Global warming and protecting our planet have been a continuously increasing concern. Recycling seemed to be a trustworthy, reliable option to ensure the prevention of overflowing landfills and the conservation of trees, oil and water.

As stated in The Spectators article, ‘Blue’ bins or decorated trash cans – The Spectator, VSU placed recycling bins around campus beginning in 2007. Yet, the system has not been maintained, and they have had difficulty with upkeeping this promise beginning in 2013. Eleven years have passed, and it is still unclear if VSU is recycling the products students and faculty have entrusted them with.

Not only is this deceiving and unjust to the community, it also goes against the guidelines laid out by the 1990 Georgia Solid Waste Management Act that mandates the University System of Georgia to “practice waste minimization and pollution prevention by adopting recycling programs for all appropriate materials, purchasing recycled products, substituting less hazardous materials and establishing micro-scale chemistry operations.”

The first documented concern regarding the validity of VSU’s recycling program was Oct. 3, 2013. During an Environmental Issues Committee Meeting, Lynn Adams and Theresa Grove, both appointed members during the time, brought forth their concerns of mixing recycling waste with regular trash.

“L. Adams asked whether or not recycling was occurring when all bags were thrown into one dumpster. T. Grove said the same thing is happening at Bailey,” as recorded in the meeting minutes.

Fast forward to 2025 and Dr. Thomas Aiello confirmed the continuation of mixing recyclable materials with regular trash.

“The bulk of trash on campus is all lumped together and not sent to a recycling facility. It is just combined and discarded as non-recycled garbage,” Dr. Aiello said.

Raymond Sable, the director of Physical Plant, excused the past two years of not recycling because of weather and the cyber-attack.

“We have had a lot of problems organizing recycling efforts for the last two years, since Idalia,” said Sable.  “We have gotten off to a slow start with the IT outage and the time off for freezing and snowy weather, but this month, we are organizing to collect recycling and transport it to the city collection sites on Wednesday.”

He sent proof of recycling by submitting a photo of one bag and two empty boxes in front of the recycling plant. However, it is hard to believe that this could be all the recycling VSU has produced in the last month.

The Spectator believes that VSU should maintain their promise to the community of recycling and that there should be regular check-ins to ensure that the service is being provided as mandated.

We agree with the original promise that VSU made to us in the recycling policy proposal:

“VSU, as the leading educational institution for the South Georgia region, must lead by example in an effort to increase recycling regionally; our increasingly cosmopolitan student body and faculty expect it.”