Manuel Veloria
Since the release of the controversial documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” everyone is about recycling and saving Mother Earth. But once you’re done reading this issue of The Roundup, what do you do? Do you do the convenient way and kindly recycle it?
It’s sad to say the fact that most of these newspapers will simply become trash since they are being left on benches once readers are done, and will be scattered all over campus creating an eyesore on that green grass of the campus. Almost most of the students, teachers, and staff are not part taking in this matter.
I’ve have always been appalled by those people who have trouble standing up and take a few steps towards those recycling bins that is stationed on every corner of our campus. Not to mention those empty bottles that is being left behind on tables.
As the moment you enter campus coming from Victory Blvd. and Mason, you’ll notice those recycling bins as you walk towards the campus, but it is merely a container that is being ignored by everybody.
Every now and then, if you take a peek inside these bins you’ll be amazed at what you’ll see inside…nothing. These recycling stations are just as empty as bottles we have finish drinking.
Homeless people who go and dive in those dirty trash bins do a better job of recycling than us, who are well educated and well informed of the pollution it can produce.
And we all know why they do that, and that’s because of money.
But money isn’t the issue here; it’s about how we are given the opportunity to do something in change to clean up our community, it’s already served to us in a silver spoon, and all we need to do is take action into it.
Also, it’s just hard for me to comprehend when somebody tells me that I’m only getting cents on recycling. Little do they know that in every bottle I collect, every newspaper I gather and every depleted battery I gather in my little brown box is one step into making Earth clean and waste-free again.
A year ago I started recycling and at first I thought it was very silly for me to collect all these garbage when I can just throw them out the trash or leave them on the street.
But as it went by, I developed sense that I’m not only doing this for myself and the money I get once I cashed out the coupons they have given me in recycling centers. I also developed a great responsibility of helping my community and Earth itself. It was beneficial not only to me but also to everyone else.
So, I gathered all the information there is to know about recycling and with all the newspapers I’ve collected and recycled were turned into new newsprint, the bottles I’ve gathered were recycled and I made the air we breathe cleaner and the batteries I’ve compiled are cutting down the mercury that is poisoning the L.A River and the beaches I loved to visit during the hot summer season.
Pierce College should take up heave on recycling since the time is now. Recycling bins and centers are all over us. The door has already been opened for us and all we have to do is act because it’s only a matter of time when we look back and see how much damage the waste we left behind have had affected our community.